We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Hearing Loss

thedue

thedue

Another Day in Paradise
Joined
Jul 5, 2009
Messages
25,823
Reaction score
76
Location
Nebraska
Handicap
8
The Today show had a segment on hearing loss this morning that shows hearing loss has become very common in todays society and discused the options available for people suffering from this condition. I myself have significant hearing loss, over 50% in my left ear and 30% in the right as of 1999 and am pretty sure thats much worst now.

These devises are not cheap. A standard aid costs anywhere from $1500 to $3500, with options running much more, yet while insurance will pay for the hearing test most companies will not cover the cost of a hearing aid. Why is this? Or better yet, how can they get away with this?

My loss was initially work related when I worked in a wood shop and then about 10 years as a welder. Then in 1995 I had a brain tumor removed on my left side that significantly caused more loss on that side. I bought a hearing aid in 1999 for the left side and wore it almost 10 years, but once it died for the last time and needed replaced I simply couldn't get myself to spend that kind of money to replace.
 
Every time I stop at a red light I think to myself, "Man, I have got to invest in a good hearing aid company" as I hear all of the insanely loud music blasting in the cars around me, or see teens with ear buds jammed in their ears from their iPods blasting music directly into their brains... I can't imagine losing my hearing as a musician.
 
I'm going to be faced with this issue down the road myself. I had a complete physical just last week, and I have some loss in my right ear. I'm not exposed to a great deal of noise at work, so my doctor said it is just a natural thing as I'm getting older. Not sure what I'll do later on, but I had no idea aids were so expensive. My eyesight changes are a bigger concern to me right now. As a diabetic, I get checked yearly, and I also had my eye checkup last week, and they had to make some pretty good changes to my prescription in just a year.

I have already decided that getting old is no fun!
 
Penglynns said:
Every time I stop at a red light I think to myself, "Man, I have got to invest in a good hearing aid company" as I hear all of the insanely loud music blasting in the cars around me, or see teens with ear buds jammed in their ears from their iPods blasting music directly into their brains... I can't imagine losing my hearing as a musician.
Click to expand...

As you mention that, one of the people they talked to on this show talked about wearing headsets in bed at night listening to music and would fall asleep. He would wake in the middle of the night with his ears throbbing and blames that on some of the loss.

It just seems to me that hearing loss is more than just a cosmetic change, almost as important as glasses for many people. (Don't bother yelling FOUR, I won't hear it, haha)
 
I'm sorry, could you repeat the question?
 
I read about this this morning too. I am not surprised with how loud kids listen to music. My mom used to always yell at me to turn my music down because I was going to be deaf by the time I was 30.
 
GolferGal said:
I read about this this morning too. I am not surprised with how loud kids listen to music. My mom used to always yell at me to turn my music down because I was going to be deaf by the time I was 30.
Click to expand...

Lol, I have to admit doing that to my kids and I was the one that went deaf by 30.

Tap,Tap,Tap
 
I saw the story this morning too, and I am truly deaf! I played in those damn rock and roll bands for years and I also have tinnitus, constant ringing in my ears, the worst part is that when having a converstaion with someone the background noise drowns out the conversation and I'm always saying huh? or what was that? Lol! getting old after being stupid while I was young sucks..
 
My dad was hard of hearing while we were kids, and he hated seeing us with headphones on. Always made us put the two earpieces together and if we could hear the music still, it was too loud. (These were the old Koss headphones that covered your whole ear, like the safety or noise cancelling headphones of today)

He had a hearing aid and most of the time it really didn't do much good. It's been a while since my hearing was checked, I should probably do that.
 
I can completely relate. My mom has to use hearing aids, and she had a tough time getting any coverage from her insurance for them. The worst part was, she went through (I think) 2 different types before finding one that worked decently for her.

I'm down to 8% in my right ear, so basically SSD (singled-sided deaf). A normal hearing aid won't work, so I'm looking at needing a BAHA implant and sound processor, probably from Cochlear since that's what my ENT uses. Since they aren't a true hearing aid, they seem to be covered by most insurances, and the company has a insurance billing dept to help your doctor's office get their claims paid if they have trouble. Once I'm healed up from my AN removal, this is probably the next step for me.
 
Osahar said:
I can completely relate. My mom has to use hearing aids, and she had a tough time getting any coverage from her insurance for them. The worst part was, she went through (I think) 2 different types before finding one that worked decently for her.

I'm down to 8% in my right ear, so basically SSD (singled-sided deaf). A normal hearing aid won't work, so I'm looking at needing a BAHA implant and sound processor, probably from Cochlear since that's what my ENT uses. Since they aren't a true hearing aid, they seem to be covered by most insurances, and the company has a insurance billing dept to help your doctor's office get their claims paid if they have trouble. Once I'm healed up from my AN removal, this is probably the next step for me.
Click to expand...

I guess I really need to go back in and get another hearing test and see how much loss there is now. I hate to hope for more loss, but almost sounds like to only way to get covered by insurance. Good luck Osahar on both endeavors.
 
Trout Bum said:
I saw the story this morning too, and I am truly deaf! I played in those damn rock and roll bands for years and I also have tinnitus, constant ringing in my ears, the worst part is that when having a converstaion with someone the background noise drowns out the conversation and I'm always saying huh? or what was that? Lol! getting old after being stupid while I was young sucks..
Click to expand...

+1, I did play in a band for a few years, but when I went through basic training back in the mid 60's ear plugs were not provided, I did not file this with the Army when I got out as I would have had to stay 2 more weeks and as a young man 2 weeks at home meant much more to me than my hearing. On the annual hearing tests at work before I retired I didn't even respond to the highest 3 frequencies in my left ear. We don't makes the smartest decisions when we are young.
 
DawgDaddy said:
+1, I did play in a band for a few years, but when I went through basic training back in the mid 60's ear plugs were not provided, I did not file this with the Army when I got out as I would have had to stay 2 more weeks and as a young man 2 weeks at home meant much more to me than my hearing. On the annual hearing tests at work before I retired I didn't even respond to the highest 3 frequencies in my left ear. We don't makes the smartest decisions when we are young.
Click to expand...

That's why being young is so much damn fun and being old isn't lol.
 
Trout Bum said:
I also have tinnitus, constant ringing in my ears,
Click to expand...

Tinnitus here also; pretty bad. I HATE it. And 40% loss of the left ear. The VA, however, somehow failed to think that working on and around fighter jets for 21 years had anything to do with it. Tinnitus is the WORST!
 
T0AD said:
Tinnitus here also; pretty bad. I HATE it. And 40% loss of the left ear. The VA, however, somehow failed to think that working on and around fighter jets for 21 years had anything to do with it. Tinnitus is the WORST!
Click to expand...

Amen, Toad! The not hearing isn't nearly as annoying as that CONSTANT ringing!
 
Trout Bum said:
I saw the story this morning too, and I am truly deaf! I played in those damn rock and roll bands for years and I also have tinnitus, constant ringing in my ears, the worst part is that when having a converstaion with someone the background noise drowns out the conversation and I'm always saying huh? or what was that? Lol! getting old after being stupid while I was young sucks..
Click to expand...

I've got the same problem with tinnitus. Had to take my wife to the doc with me and have him tell her I had it cause she thought I was just making it up as an excuse to ignore stuff I didn't want to hear :D. Certain sounds are worse than others too for example if water is running, someone can shout behind me and I won't hear it. I noticed lately I pay alot more attention to peoples mouths when they talk than I used to
 
My hearing is terrible. Way too many live bands, I can think of a number of shows I attended where I sat right in front of walls of speakers and my ears rang for days. I also ran engine and turret lathes in a stainless steel fabrication plant for several years, and some of the jobs were insanely loud.

It's a bummer. The other night while out for dinner at the alehouse with TMCers, I had a terrible time hearing with the din of the crowd going on.

Kevin
 
I also work in a custom cabinet shop but our hearing is tested once a year i do wear my ear plugs some times plugs with ear muffs together as it does get so loud at times you can feel it through the floor.Have had some minor loss overthe 23 yrs. there but at least we are tested..
 
Hanks said:
I'm sorry, could you repeat the question?
Click to expand...

You always have a quick one liner waiting don't you! I like that

I get tested yearly via work physical. There are to many people in my business who don't take care of their ears. Although there are days I wish I couldnt here a certain someone! :)


---
- Tapatalk... Loved by me hated by the wife.
 
I guess my original question in starting this thread was why, or better yet how, does insurance get away with not covering the cost of hearing aids if you are discovered to have loss especially if its work related? It seems most insurance companies cover the testing so you can know you have the loss of hearing and then just suggest you wear protection, but is that were it ends unless you decide to pony up several thousand for aids?
 
thedue said:
I guess my original question in starting this thread was why, or better yet how, does insurance get away with not covering the cost of hearing aids if you are discovered to have loss especially if its work related? It seems most insurance companies cover the testing so you can know you have the loss of hearing and then just suggest you wear protection, but is that were it ends unless you decide to pony up several thousand for aids?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about the insurance but can you prove it's work related? If you can I would look into workers comp!


---
- Tapatalk... Loved by me hated by the wife.
 
bgammill said:
I'm not sure about the insurance but can you prove it's work related? If you can I would look into workers comp!


---
- Tapatalk... Loved by me hated by the wife.
Click to expand...

No, I can't at this point, mine was from a job years ago and a brain surgery I had in 1995. I'm more thinking about all those out there who are working in jobs now that can cause a loss, have their employees checked, yet don't do anything to fix the problem. Just always been a grip of mine and doubt workmans comp covers it either.
 
thedue said:
I guess my original question in starting this thread was why, or better yet how, does insurance get away with not covering the cost of hearing aids if you are discovered to have loss especially if its work related? It seems most insurance companies cover the testing so you can know you have the loss of hearing and then just suggest you wear protection, but is that were it ends unless you decide to pony up several thousand for aids?
Click to expand...

Hearing aids fall into the category of Durable Medical Equipment (DME), which are not generally well covered by most insurance plans. Wheelchairs, canes, adjustable beds, etc. also fall in this category, and it is a struggle to get them paid for. Check with your insurance carrier to determine the process for getting these. They will generally have very specific requirements (e.g. only certain brands/types of hearing aids may be covered, and documentation of medical necessity is required). If the hearing loss is work related, it may have to be filed through the employer's insurance as a worker's compensation claim -- thus your personal insurance may deny such a claim on the grounds that it is not their responsibility to cover work-related injuries.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top