Hearing loss associated with age is the third most persistent chronic medical problems among older people. Even with these challenges, many insurance programs fail to cover the cost associated with hearing aids. As of 2014, the cost of purchasing the device was very expensive ranging from $2,200 to as much as $7,000 or even more each; which relies on the options and quality of the devices. The organization, Medicare which is responsible for the provision of health insurance to as much as 46.3 million people from sixty-five years of age and above doesn’t provide for hearing aids, the reason been that hearing supports such as eyeglasses and related devices were by law exempted in 1965, as at the time Medicare Law was established. The beneficiaries of the Medicare were unable to afford it from their earnings, which was quite unfortunate and these tend to have a huge negative impact to achieving the goal of eradicating the medical challenges.6 Few retired senior citizens enjoy extra coverage as provided by their employer in a form of ‘’employer-sponsored retiree health plans’’. This plan seasonally offers restricted coverage for hearing aids. A sponsored coverage plan know as Medicaid partnered by the federal-state ensures the provision of medical insurance for low-income earners, it is however limited and varies among states.
The inability of the Medicare to offer possible coverage for the value of hearing aids, and also the restricted coverage offered in other insurance plans, are the main reasons for the negative impacts of age-related hearing loss. A study conducted of recent was carried out to determine the relationship between hearing loss and dementia.7 The increase in depression and isolation are mostly caused by hearing loss, this a major factor other, although there are other related diseases which can also cause this ailment. Another negative consequence worth mentioning is that there is also a correlation between hearing loss and a decrease in ‘’health-related quality of life, what this implies is that a person diagnosed of hearing loss will most likely have a problem enjoying good health.
Further studies proved that hearing loss will promote the incident of falling- A person having hearing challenges is unable to hear properly, when walking and is most likely to walk into an object causing a fall if not guided. It was also discovered by researchers that people with hearing loss that uses hearing aids are more active socially and will experience cognitive decline when compared to the ones without hearing aids. In other words, people having the challenges of hearing loss will have a high risk of accelerated cognitive decline as a result of withdrawing from social activities. This implies that hearing aids reduce the risk. The researchers concluded that the main reason was not the ability to hear better, but what is essential is the part better hearing played in making them actively involved in life. The condition, age-related hearing loss is progressive in nature and grow worse over time. The impairment is permanent when you lose hearing and little or nothing can be done to salvage it except the use of hearing aids and devices. The cause of age-related hearing loss cannot be pinpointed singularly, according to research, the cause of this condition can be due to the inner ear changes as you grow older.
Considering the correlation between hearing loss and medical challenges, it is very important to develop advocacy methods to help the elderly ones who are coerced to either pay from their income or made to go without one.
The quotation of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) presents an interesting
privilege for such hearing aid advocacy. The basic Medicare coverage policies are not in any way altered by the ACA acts, nonetheless, many provision could be explained to make compulsory insurance coverage of hearing screening and aids in the course of examining the ACA where the current Medicare law is absent. The secretary of health and Human services is provided the authority to test innovations in the service delivery models utilization capable of hearing aid coverage, by a provision in the ACA. The general preventive screening is another relevant provision included in the ‘’Welcome to Medicare’' visit, also annual preventive visits, with ‘’Essential Health Benefit’’ which requires depression screenings, rehabilitative as well as habilitative services.
Meanwhile, the Medicare program offers ACA the opportunity to deliver coverage on an experimental basis and a platform from which the Medicare stature can be amended, by promoting consistency with the provision of ACA and the preventive care philosophy. This write up clarifies the debates for insurance coverage hearing aids, with Medicare as its primary focus; provider of the largest health insurance for elderly while effective strategies are put in place to achieving this result.
A detailed description is provided specifically to those affected with an age-related hearing loss in the second part of this article. Analysis of sensorineural hearing loss, devices, and their corrective usage is also explained in summary.
The cost of hearing aids, a brief explanation of health insurance choices for seniors, is covered in the third section of this article. It further provides a vivid picture of how the seniors living in poverty live their life. This part emphasis the relationship which exist between untreated hearing loss and other medical illnesses found among the seniors
Part V dictates that coverage of hearing aid can be expanded by reducing cost and improving quality, while innovative projects are authorized by ACA provision. It also describes a few other parts of the ACA serving as useful catalysts for boosting amendment of the Medicare law to offer this coverage. Furthermore, Medicaid program and private insurance policies were also addressed in the light of the ACA. In conclusion, this part advocates particular strategies to boost this result. The provision of insurance coverage for hearing devices is most important given a twenty-three million estimated untreated adults with hearing loss.
