Did you know that in Canada, over 60% of people aged 19 to 79 have a hearing health problem? And, over half of adults with measured hearing loss were not aware of their hearing problems? Maybe it’s time to check your family’s hearing.
Hearing problems, like other health events, can be especially stressful because of the emotional toll they can have on the entire family. Too many times, families are surprised to discover that provincial healthcare plans will not cover all the out-of-pocket costs for many health needs, including hearing aids and therapists.
Having a health insurance plan in place can help you be prepared for the unexpectedly significant financial impact of hearing loss.
How do you know if you have hearing loss?
Hearing loss is an “invisible” condition that affects about 20% of Canadians. When you have hearing loss, normal sounds you hear are just not as sharp as they should be. Others may not be able to tell that you have hearing loss, but after spending some time in conversation, they may realize even before you do the impact that hearing loss is having on your quality of life.
Hearing loss is complex. How one person hears can be quite different from how another person hears. There are many different degrees of hearing loss.
Signs of hearing loss can be subtle and surface slowly or can be significant and come on suddenly. You might have hearing loss if you:
- Have trouble hearing clearly, especially when there is background noise
- Find group conversations difficult to follow
- Play the volume on the TV or radio too loudly (according to others)
- Think everybody is mumbling or that sounds are muffled
- Frequently ask people to repeat themselves
- Have trouble hearing when a speaker isn’t facing you
- Find telephone conversations are becoming more difficult
- Avoid social situations because you aren’t confident in your hearing.
Isn’t hearing loss just an ‘age thing’?
Hearing loss is not just age related; it is affecting people at younger and younger ages. Try this online hearing test from Canadian Hearing Services to see if you are affected.
While the most common causes of hearing loss are aging and prolonged loud noise exposure, it’s important to remember that an illness like a brain tumor can result in the loss of hearing, speaking, reading, and writing abilities. Exposure to certain drugs and chemicals can also cause unexpected hearing loss. And accidental injury caused by external force (like a car accident) can result in hearing loss that requires medical attention.
For growing families, it is important to remember that children are not immune to hearing loss. Some are born with it due to genetics, even when neither parent has a hearing impairment. Like any adult, a child can also experience hearing loss due to an illness or a sports injury.
Therapy and Hearing Aids Can Often Help
Not all hearing losses require (or can benefit from) therapies or hearing aids, but many can.
Today more than ever before, hearing aids can be used to help treat a broad range of hearing losses. Technological advances have increased the flexibility of hearing aids to accommodate far more patient‐specific factors in order to improve performance. According to The McMaster University Center Optimal Aging, research tells us that hearing aids can improve quality of life by making communication easier, and that in turn can improve our psychosocial well-being.
You will need a prescription from your doctor or specialist to purchase a hearing aid that can provide specific sound characteristics and give you optimal performance and communicative benefits.
For children or adults suffering loss after an accident, speech therapy by a pathologist can assist in identifying, assessing, and providing treatment.
The financial aftermath of an unexpected health event that causes hearing loss can seriously impact a family’s resources – one in four Canadians are unable to cover an unexpected expense of $500 or more, even for a health emergency.
Your Health Insurance Can Help Cover the Costs
It’s important to know that your provincial health plan and other government programs may only cover a portion of the cost of hearing aids — and the remaining out-of-pocket costs can be substantial. The good news is that health insurance can help provide funds for both therapy and hearing aids.
A standard health insurance plan will typically provide reimbursement for the cost of therapeutic visits for a specified number of visits each policy year. The health plan may also pay a specific amount toward the purchase of hearing aids, like $400 allowed every 4 years toward the entire hearing aid purchase (whether one aid or two aids are purchased), or the repair of hearing aids you own. Some plans include access to discounts from providers.
The design of these benefits corresponds well with the treatment. Supportive funding for therapies is usually ongoing, while the funding for hearing aids fits the average lifespan of the medical equipment. On average, in-the-ear hearing aids have an estimated lifespan of 4–5 years, while behind-the-ear hearing aids have a 5–6-year lifespan.
Health insurance provides even more help
With a health and dental insurance plan in place, you have help to cover a wide range of out-of-pocket costs for you and your family in addition to hearing care like
- Some of the cost of assistive devices, such as crutches, canes, walkers, wheelchairs, and prosthetics and home oxygen
- Part of the cost of home care services, such as personal support workers or health care aides or nursing
- Virtual health care– you can have video calls or phone consultations with a medical practitioner from the comfort of your own home, from work or wherever you are for a wide variety of health issues like discussing mental health issues or to talk privately about sexual health
- Referrals and coverage for eligible expenses for therapy appointments to other health practitioners that offers private, confidential virtual care or in person visits including dieticians, psychologists, social workers, chiropractors, naturopaths, and physiotherapists
Health insurance plans can include coverage for
- Prescription Drugs
- Dental Care
- Vision Care
- Semi-private or private hospital coverage
- Ambulance costs.
Talk to us today — we are ready to listen to your needs!
Each year thousands of Canadian families face the burden of hearing loss and need to seek hearing services. Take the time now to find out what speech and hearing service costs your health insurance plan can help to cover. Talk to us today if you need any guidance or support at 1-800-667-0429 or 416-601-0429. Our business hours are Monday to Friday 8:45 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. eastern time. We are ready to listen and help you find a coverage package to suit your needs and budget.
