REASONS PEOPLE AVOID SEEING A HEARING CARE SPECIALIST

by Jill Copley, Au.D., CCC-A

REASON #1 — The Patient is Not Sure of His or Her Insurance Coverage for the Procedures and Treatments Involved with Hearing Loss.

When it comes to hearing health care coverage, it can be murky. BUT…nearly every insurance company I have come across allows for coverage of one diagnostic hearing evaluation per year by an audiologist. Medicare is an exception in that it does not cover any services related to hearing aids, including testing to determine if you need hearing aids.

Medical treatment of your hearing loss may have an out-of-pocket cost associated with it, but I have seen insurance cover anywhere from 10% to 100% of the costs. And even if you were in the position of having 0% insurance coverage, treating hearing loss can be affordable.

I believe any reputable hearing health care practice will have a deep understanding of the insurance regulations in its area and will be able to readily answer any questions you may have about your insurance coverage—Our office has in-house insurance specialists to help you find the answers.

REASON #2 — Patients are Afraid of Being Sold Something.

The patient is likely already nervous because he or she knows the medical diagnosis before ever even stepping their foot in the office. Combine that with the fear of “being sold something” and that makes for a pretty nervous patient with his or her guard up.

Unfortunately, much of modern medicine is turning into a commercial advertisement seen on TV that marginalizes the process of treating a medical disorder, and hearing health care is not immune to this. In my office, our belief is in the medical evaluation and treatment of hearing loss, which often includes the use of hearing aid technology.

I strongly believe that the proper medical treatment of hearing loss is best left to the clinicians who are specially trained to understand, diagnose, and treat your hearing loss.

REASON #3 — The Cost.

I have always believed that the patient needs options to help him or her invest in proper hearing health care. A reputable audiology practice understands that for some people, the upfront investment in hearing healthcare can be prohibitive. While some people can pay in full out of pocket or have health insurance to assist them, other patients may need additional options. Total Hearing Care offers reputable creditors/banks to help establish a payment plan (some with 0% interest for up to 12 months, or even a longer-term payment plan with fixed interest rates). These plans have the advantages of a full warranty (loss, damage, and repair coverage), complete access to supplies, service appointments while under warranty, and loaners while devices are out for repair.

Hidden Cost

What about the cost of not treating hearing loss? While research has yet to make the definitive finding that hearing loss can cause dementia (causality is often difficult in clinical science), the evidence that the relationship exists is overwhelming. Even more important is the mounting evidence that treating hearing loss may significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia and cognitive decline.

REASON #4 — Everybody HATES Hearing Aids.

Let’s be honest. Everybody hates hearing aids. I’ve been working with hearing-impaired patients for close to thirty years and although my patients love improved hearing, they hate their hearing aids. I don’t see a reason to tiptoe around this subject or ignore the fact that patients generally do not like using hearing aids. They don’t like their glasses either, but they do like to be able to see!

For some people, hearing aids carry the stigma of meaning “I’m old and am ready to die.” And nearly every day I see a patient try to tell him or herself not to invest in hearing health care treatment because “eh, I won’t be around much longer anyway.” My response is always the same - to ask them about the quality of life they want to experience and if they want to remain connected to their loved ones and the world around them. No matter if you live for a few more years, or even thirty more years, isn’t it worth wanting to hear and understand everything and everyone else in your life?

Adapted from my new book, Inspiration for Hearing Well: Treating Hearing Loss and Reducing Cognitive Decline – Dr. Jill Copley