Rainfall on a tin roof, a gurgling stream, bird songs, and the laughter of your grandchildren are all sounds that make life worth living.
Living without these sounds due to an untreated hearing loss not only limits your quality of life but can also increase your risk of developing mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, cognitive decline, and the early onset of dementia.
The best option for maintaining a healthy, independent, and rewarding lifestyle is hearing aids. However, Medical Xpress reports that only one in five individuals diagnosed with hearing loss seek the help they need from hearing aids.
The cost of hearing aids and confusion related to whether or not their insurance coverage will help with the purchase of hearing aids are among the reasons this number is so low.
To help clear things up for my Abilene community patients with TriCare Insurance coverage, here is the financial assistance you can expect to receive for hearing aids and hearing care.
TriCare Benefits Available For Hearing Aids And Hearing Care
The majority of individuals who could benefit from the use of hearing aids are eligible for Medicare coverage, with nearly 1/3 of those being between the ages of 65 and 74 and almost half over the age of 75, according to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) statistics.
Unfortunately, Medicare does not provide any help to cover the costs of hearing aids. On the other hand, active duty and retired military personnel with Medicare Parts A and B coverage can expect to receive limited hearing care benefits through TriCare for Life.
TriCare Hearing Aid Coverage For Active Duty Personnel
TriCare Insurance provides coverage for individuals and families who qualify in various capacities as active-duty military personnel, offering various medical plan packages to meet specific deployment and duty station needs.
Relating specifically to hearing aids, active-duty personnel, and their families can receive financial assistance if they meet the following criteria:
- Adults: Hearing threshold of at least 40 dB HL (one or both ears tested at 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000, 3,000, or 4,000 Hz) or Hearing threshold of 26 dB HL (one or both ears at three or more of the above testing frequencies) or Speech recognition score of less than 94%
- Children: Hearing threshold level of at least 26 dB HL (one or both ears tested at 500, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, or 4,000 Hz)
TriCare meets the Texas mandate to provide hearing aid services to children 18 years of age and under.
TriCare Coverage For Retired Military Personnel
TriCare provides a wrap-around supplement to those enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B. TriCare fills the gaps by paying a portion of medical bills after Medicare pays their part.
Those eligible for TriCare coverage will pay 20% coinsurance after Medicare pays, including hearing care services, but hearing aids are not a part of TriCare’s coverage benefits.
However, TriCare facilitates access to other government programs with the VA coverage, the Retiree-At-Cost Hearing Aid Program (RACHAP), and eligibility to purchase hearing aids at a reduced cost in specified military hospitals and clinics.
We’ll Happily Check Your Benefits For You
Hearing loss is often included on the list of sacrifices made by active and retired military personnel to defend the freedoms Americans enjoy.
Because we want our heroes to enjoy the rich, rewarding, and independent lifestyle available through the use of hearing aids, Holland Hearing Center works hard to help cover the cost of hearing aids.
We have insurance experts on staff familiar with TriCare, the eligibility requirements, and the coverage options available.
Allow us to go to work to track the funding you can expect by submitting our insurance coverage inquiry form or by calling us at (325) 437-4730.
