3 Ways You Can Afford Hearing Aids

Sometimes, convincing a senior loved one to get hearing aids is a two-fold dilemma. On the one hand, she’s reluctant to admit she’s "old" and could use hearing assistance. On the other, she thinks she couldn’t afford to buy them anyway. However, she can absolutely afford to buy hearing aids if she knows where and how to shop. Scheduling a consultation at a hearing center that provides free hearing evaluations is a start because your senior loved one will have nothing to lose by going. The doctor can also help you convince her that the hearing aids are necessary to begin with.

Look at your loved one’s current income, savings and expenditures to come up with a figure that seems reasonable to spend on hearing aids. Even if the amount your loved one can set aside seems far too low to afford the aids, don’t give up. Discuss payment options with a hearing center and you’ll find they’re willing to work with you. Being able to hear clearly, to not have to ask people to repeat themselves, and to fully understand what’s going on around you, is worth almost any price for your loved one. Luckily, you and your senior loved one won’t have to pay a penny more than necessary to enjoy hearing aids.

Special Offers

Watch a hearing center’s website or call to ask about the current specials the center has to offer new and returning patients alike. Among the most common offers are free hearing evaluations and free hearing aid service and repair. The latter is especially beneficial if your loved one is worried about the long-term costs of owning hearing aids. With a special offer like free service and repair, he won’t have to worry about having to shell out more money every time his hearing aids need a slight tune-up.

CareCredit

Apply for a CareCredit credit card – a card for only health-related expenses – and pay for hearing aids on an easy payment plan. Dividing the out-of-pocket cost of the aids will make it far more affordable. For example, if your loved one can only afford $20 to $50 a month, she might be able to and she’ll have six to twelve months or perhaps more to pay off the hearing aid loan interest-free. You can even apply for a CareCredit account in the hearing center’s office and have the cost charged to the card before you go home. Make sure your loved one is never late with a monthly minimum payment and pays off the entirety of the loan in the agreed-upon timeframe, and he’ll never have to pay a penny of interest.

Health Insurance

Never get hearing aids without having the hearing center run the charge through your insurance, even if you don’t think it’s covered. Keeping track of everything your insurance covers is difficult for most consumers, and it costs nothing to have the center file a claim. If your loved one is on Medicare and has supplemental health insurance, or even if he’s just on private insurance, present the applicable information to the center when you arrive for your loved one’s appointment. The time it takes the insurance to review the claim will also delay the bill a few weeks or a month or so, giving your loved one more time to save up money for the purchase.

Hearing centers are used to working with patients who are on limited budgets. The centers staffed by the most caring and compassionate people want to see everyone in need of hearing aids properly equipped with them. You need only ask to figure out how to afford them on a tight budget.

About the Author: Lisa Paasch works at a senior community center in New Jersey and frequently blogs about senior issues. She recommends http://www.njhearingaids.com/ to anyone looking for hearing aids at affordable prices.

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