Major
Communicative Disorders
Second Major
Political Science
Advisor
Milner, Bethany, A
Advisor Department
Communicative Disorders
Date
4-2024
Keywords
Hearing aids; Medicare; Insurance; Legislation
Abstract
About 15% of the United States adult population have a perceived hearing loss, amounting to around 38 million people. Of this number, only one out of six have ever used a hearing aid (Everett, 2023). Why is there such a discrepancy? Medicare and Medicaid services in the U.S. either do not cover or offer extremely limited coverage to adults who need hearing aids and audiological services. Adults with hearing loss must have access to the hearing aids they need because untreated loss can lead to negative emotional and functional consequences. One main reason for this lack of coverage is cost. When Medicare was signed into law in 1965, coverage for hearing aids and audiological services was not included. Since then, there has been a push to include these services under the Medicare umbrella of coverage, but no bills have successfully passed. This paper explains why access to hearing aids is essential to the health and well-being of adults. It also explores reasons why Medicare and Medicaid are unwilling to cover audiological devices, and addresses legislation and its impacts on insurance coverage. This analysis concludes with ways to advocate for, and with, those who are continually being denied the hearing aids and services to which they should be entitled.