Did you know that over 15 million Americans experience hearing loss, but avoid seeking help for it? Hearing loss treatment can offer a dramatically improved quality of life. But according to the Center for Hearing and Communication people wait an average of 7 years to find help for their hearing loss – if they do at all. There are many reasons why people wait, but the cost of hearing treatment is a big one. It?s no secret that insurance and hearing loss can be a complicated matter.
Expensive Versus Valuable
There?s no way around it: With or without insurance, hearing care can be expensive. But what does hearing mean to you?
Let?s do a thought experiment. A brand-new, high-end sports car costs a lot of money. If your basement floods, the repair costs are also pricey. But there?s a big difference between these two things. Which one would you spend your money on? You might like to have that fancy sports car. But in that moment, you?re probably going to forget about the car altogether and spend your money on fixing your basement.
What it comes down to is value. Even if the sports car and the repair costs have the same price tag, one is probably much more valuable to you. After all, it?s hard to live in a house with a flooded basement. In all likelihood, you place more value on having a safe, comfortable, functional place to live than you do on having a cool car.
When you hear about all the bells and whistles that some hearing aids come with (and the cost associated with them), you might think that good hearing care is more like that sports car. It would be fun to have working hearing aids, but aren?t they really just a luxury?
That couldn?t be further from the truth. Think about the value you get from your ability to hear. Better hearing can improve your mental health and your relationships with others. Hearing loss can also be tied into other aspects of your overall health, including cognitive decline. In terms of value, the risks of untreated hearing loss make it more like the flooded basement than the new sports car.
Insurance and Hearing Loss
When faced with the price tag of hearing aids, many patients turn to insurance. Your insurance provider can often save you a lot of money on medical expenses. But that may not be the case when it comes to hearing loss treatment.
If you have insurance and hearing loss is covered, your insurance provider may send you to the first available clinic or the closest one to you. They may also offer discount plans and benefit plans that seem perfect for saving money. But when insurance providers decide which hearing care practice to cover, they don?t necessarily have your best interests in mind. They?re looking for ones with lower fees, but they don?t check the quality of those clinics.
That means you?re often missing out on important services. You might end up at a clinic that doesn?t follow best practices in hearing care. And even though you save money now, cheap hearing care can cost you more in the long run – either in terms of money or quality of life. You might not get the value you need out of your hearing care, meaning you could end up with a treatment plan that doesn?t really work for you.
Better Care, Better Value
Choosing your own hearing care based on best practices rather than network coverage may come with a higher price tag up front. But it can actually save you time and money in the long run – not to mention improve your overall health. Cheaper clinics may simply try to fix your hearing loss problem in the form of a one-size-fits-all hearing aid. But that?s like trying to fix your flooded basement with a roll of duct tape.
At The Hill Hear Better Clinic, our experts take a holistic approach to hearing loss treatment. We know that each person experiences hearing loss differently. Using state-of-the-art technology, we?ll examine the root cause and extent of your unique condition. Then we?ll find a treatment plan that addresses your individual hearing loss and really works for you.
Our Cognivue cognitive testing system can help us find the cause of your hearing loss. It can also help us spot the signs of cognitive decline early while it can be slowed or halted, prolonging your cognitive health. Real Ear Measures helps us fit and fine-tune your hearing aids to give you a product that will improve your quality of life as much as possible.
Dealing with insurance and hearing loss can be frustrating. But you?re not simply paying more for hearing aids when you choose The Hill Hear Better Clinic. When you schedule an evaluation with us, you?re choosing to get the most value out of your treatment so you can hear better – and live better, too.
Want to see the difference a value-based practice can make in your hearing loss treatment? Schedule an evaluation with us today!
