Vietnam veterans....

[Jim Becker]

FYI, Medicare will now pay for hearing aids. My dad is on Medicare and recently got a set of $13,000 hearing aids free. Check it out.

$13K for hearing aids, unless they are something really special like the implants Ken has, sounds over the top. But there are big markups out there...the Rexton aids I use and paid under $2K for from Costco are regularly sold by the "name" hearing centers for as much as $6K. (yea, wow). I do have coverage for HA's from Medicare, but I use a PPO Advantage plan from the local BCBC. I know there was talk about availability for folks on "regular" Medicare, but was not aware it was real yet.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

$13K for hearing aids, unless they are something really special like the implants Ken has, sounds over the top. But there are big markups out there...the Rexton aids I use and paid under $2K for from Costco are regularly sold by the "name" hearing centers for as much as $6K. (yea, wow). I do have coverage for HA's from Medicare, but I use a PPO Advantage plan from the local BCBC. I know there was talk about availability for folks on "regular" Medicare, but was not aware it was real yet.

I am bimodal with both a cochlear implant(CI) and a hearing aid (HA). My sound processor and the HA talk to each other. 3 years ago when I updated my hearing gear on both ears, Medicare Medigap Plan F did not pay for HAs but did pay for CIs and sound processors. I don't have to tell you Jim as I know you are aware, Medicare Medigap plans and Medicare Advantage plans are two totally different animals. I use an Advanced Bionics CI and a Phonak HA. Both are owned by the same corporation. My last hearing aid decreased in price to $2,000.

[Pat Germain]

I'm sorry for suggesting something bogus. I'm not on Medicare and I don't know the details. I do know my Dad is on Medicare and he recently got hearing aids. I will talk with him tonight and get the details.

[Jerome Stanek]

I have an advantage plan and I could have gotten free hearing aids that you have to replace the batteries but they will supply them or I got the rechargable ones that only cost me $250. I had a choice of 2 different rechargable brands. I went with Resound brand.

[Bill George]

I had been going to Costco for hearing aids and they were the same name brands at 1/3 the retail price. My hearing then got so bad I needed to have custom ear molds, price went way up for the same aids at a audiologist.

I found the VA here very good, no BS no run around. But even as I am a Vet, my hearing loss from jet engines on B-52s did not qualify when I applied years ago. But I understand things have changed. No, Medicare plan F does not cover hearing aids, and I will never sign up for Advantage Plans.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I had been going to Costco for hearing aids and they were the same name brands at 1/3 the retail price. My hearing then got so bad I needed to have custom ear molds, price went way up for the same aids at a audiologist.

I found the VA here very good, no BS no run around. But even as I am a Vet, my hearing loss from jet engines on B-52s did not qualify when I applied years ago. But I understand things have changed. No, Medicare plan F does not cover hearing aids, and I will never sign up for Advantage Plans.

It's my understanding that the Medgap plan F coverage varies from state to state. Mine doesn't cover hearing aids.

[Patty Hann]

It's my understanding that the Medgap plan F coverage varies from state to state. Mine doesn't cover hearing aids.

Wow. I thought Plan F covered darn near everything.
I'm on N and I know it doesn't cover Hearing Aids.
(Costco, here I come....when I need them.)

[Mike Henderson]

Wow. I thought Plan F covered darn near everything.
I'm on N and I know it doesn't cover Hearing Aids.
(Costco, here I come....when I need them.)

Traditional Medicare and none of the supplemental plans provide hearing aid coverage.

Mike

[andy bessette]

Though they've been treating me very well lately, about a decade ago the VA provided me hearing aids. When I told them they squealed and squawked, whistled and buzzed constantly, they told me to bring them back and they would give them to someone else.

[Patty Hann]

Though they've been treating me very well lately, about a decade ago the VA provided me hearing aids. When I told them they squealed and squawked, whistled and buzzed constantly, they told me to bring them back and they would give them to someone else.

What did you finally do?

[andy bessette]

I've done without all this time. And they're still jerking me around, making appointments months into the future for testing (I'm 80).

[Patty Hann]

I've done without all this time. And they're still jerking me around, making appointments months into the future for testing (I'm 80).

Wow. If I didn't see that you are in CA I would have thought you were in Phoenix. :-p
I'm sorry your VA is so bad... not surprised, just sorry.

[andy bessette]

Fortunately it is not the entire VA that's so bad. Just general management and certain groups that have no adequate oversight. Mostly the technical people are dedicated to a job they feel is important--helping vets. But there are extreme exceptions.

[Mike Henderson]

Though they've been treating me very well lately, about a decade ago the VA provided me hearing aids. When I told them they squealed and squawked, whistled and buzzed constantly, they told me to bring them back and they would give them to someone else.

I get my hearing aids through the Long Beach VA - same place as you would, I suppose - and they have been great to me. I actually receive the aids through their Santa Ana clinic because it's closer to me but I have gone to the big hospital in Long Beach occasionally.

I would encourage you to try again. The digital aids are quite good - but they're still hearing aids. None of my hearing aids that I got from them squealed, squawked, whistled or buzzed. If you can get along without hearing aids, it's easy to give up on them. People who really need them generally work with the audiologists until they work well.

The hearing aids I received were the "top of the line" aids that would cost you quite a bit if you got them somewhere else.

Mike

[andy bessette]

I get my hearing aids through the Long Beach VA - same place as you would, I suppose - and they have been great to me. I actually receive the aids through their Santa Ana clinic because it's closer to me but I have gone to the big hospital in Long Beach occasionally.

I would encourage you to try again. The digital aids are quite good - but they're still hearing aids. None of my hearing aids that I got from them squealed, squawked, whistled or buzzed. If you can get along without hearing aids, it's easy to give up on them. People who really need them generally work with the audiologists until they work well.

The hearing aids I received were the "top of the line" aids that would cost you quite a bit if you got them somewhere else.

Mike

Thanks Mike.

I am in Marina del Rey, so the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center is closest for me. They setup an appointment for me in about a month, so we'll see.

I was in the artillery in Vietnam--1/'67-2/'68--air-mobile 105 Howitzers. So there was never a question regarding my qualifying for hearing aids. I get along only by leaning in and very frequently asking people to repeat themselves.