Hearing Aids – Too Expensive?
One of the biggest complaints that both deaf and hard of hearing people share is the high cost of hearing aids. Hearing impaired people whose hearing losses are not severe enough for cochlear implants must use hearing aids. The problem is, hearing aids are not usually covered by health insurance plans while cochlear implants are. A cochlear implant is considered a prosthesis by private insurance companies, but hearing aids are not. For example, the Cigna healthcare document Coverage Position Number 0190: Cochlear and Auditory Brainstem Implants (revised 5/15/2007) states, “The cochlear implant is an electronic prosthesis that stimulates cells of the auditory spiral ganglion to provide a sense of sound to persons with hearing impairment.” At the same time, Cigna Coverage Position Number 0093: Hearing Aids (revised 5/15/2007) states, “Hearing aids are specifically excluded under mo
