Experts don’t know exactly why hearing aids are still so costly, except that companies continue to invest in improvements, and fees usually cover the services of a highly trained audiologist.
Cost reductions can’t come soon enough for those who depend on hearing aids. Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America, said her office gets a handful of calls every day from people needing help paying for hearing aids. The association refers them to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Medicaid or foundations like the Lions Club, depending on their military status and where they live. “It’s still really tough,” she said. Medicare does not cover the cost of hearing aids, though there’s a bill before Congress that would require such coverage.
Read the whole article originally posted on The New York Times.