Hearing Aids - take me to school, please.

[Oldgringo]

This has been an education for me.

Me too.

I'll definitely be looking into DARS when my current hearing aids expire....assuming that I haven't heard everything by then.

[cwade]

Another vote for Costco, I got a pair in March, have had a hearing loss all my life, needed new aids.

mine are bluetooth enabled, which is great as you can stream from say your television or your cell phone directly into your aids. I can watch TV at home and hear it perfectly, without the sound even being on. Or I can stream music from my iphone directly to my aids.

I've always had the old analog aids as I wanted to be able to control it myself, but I'm glad I finally made the leap.

[mojo84]

Check out UnitedHealthcare Secure Horizons also. My mother in laws' benefit for hearing aids is pretty impressive.

[RoyGBiv]

Thanks for the helpful replies... I'm not yet ready for a hearing aid, but I did just buy my first pair of reading glasses at the drug store.

Good info for down the road.

[Running Arrow Bill]

Over the past 10 years I have had aids from 2 different places. First one was a so-called "hi-tech" unit that cost about $2400. for one ear (I only have hearing in one ear due to neurosurgery which removed inner ear components in other ear). This one was "programmed", etc., but did NOT reduce any background noise and did not improve my understanding. Gave up on this one after couple of years.

Several years later I got a "behind-the-ear hi-tech programmed" unit and paid $2200 for it. It too turned out to be rather worthless. Both places were reputable audiologists. It crashed about a year later and wouldn't come back on.

Both aids basically amplified the sound, but did little (for me) to improve my improvement in frequency understanding for voice.

Conclusion: Digital aids are way over priced for what little "microchip" components are in them. I feel most of "cost" (probably 75% or more) goes to the hearing aid service and exam with very little "cost" in the actual components (probably made in China).

As the saying goes... "Quoth The Raven"...

Yes, having serious hearing problems seriously compromises my ability to communicate orally and has all but eliminated my interest in "socializing" with others. Fortunately my wife does 98% of our conversations and 100% of our phone work.

JMO...

[Oldgringo]

Another vote for Costco, I got a pair in March, have had a hearing loss all my life, needed new aids.

mine are bluetooth enabled, which is great as you can stream from say your television or your cell phone directly into your aids. I can watch TV at home and hear it perfectly, without the sound even being on. Or I can stream music from my iphone directly to my aids.

I've always had the old analog aids as I wanted to be able to control it myself, but I'm glad I finally made the leap.

Mine are too; EXCEPT, that I didn't opt to buy that little gizmo at the time of purchase. Thanks for mentioning that. When we get back to Kalispell in May, I'm gonna' check on it. Our friend, Elder Markley, wore one, now that I think about it.

[SewTexas]

my dad got some through the VA, he was on Subs for years and the engine noise is blamed for alot of his hearing loss. they've made such a difference! he was pretty young we he got them too.

Those of you who were in the military, check with your VA rep, you might be able to get them through the VA. My FIL could have (planes, I think), but he wouldn't admit he needed them.

[b322da]

my dad got some through the VA, he was on Subs for years and the engine noise is blamed for alot of his hearing loss. they've made such a difference! he was pretty young we he got them too.

Those of you who were in the military, check with your VA rep, you might be able to get them through the VA. My FIL could have (planes, I think), but he wouldn't admit he needed them.

I might take your point a little further for the benefit of currently active duty military, Tracy, or, in some cases, those recently discharged.

The physical examination one has in connection with separation from active duty is extremely important -- every little physical problem you have, regardless of how serious it is at the time, should be brought to the attention of your medical examiner. You are looking for having service-connected disabilities rated at the time of separation, and something which seems unimportant may become very important as you age. You may be rated for disabilities even though your overall rating is 0%.

If one is rated as having a service-connected hearing loss he should have no difficulty being provided with hearing aids by the VA. Years ago I knew a CHL instructor who had such a rating, and whose hearing loss worsened as he grew older. When the VA learned of his being a CHL instructor exposed to repetitive sounds of gunshots they provided him, with no hassle, with expensive hearing aids which shut down at the first hint of an explosive sound, as do the better shooting ear muffs.

And never forget that while your military service may not rate you for some perhaps minor physical problem you can always appeal to the VA.

Take it from one who knows through sad experience that even the slightest change in some physical ability should be noted at separation. The passage of time limits your ability to appeal a negative determination to the VA. If you are a member of a veterans organization like the Americn Legion or the VFW they can be of great assistance with such an appeal.

Jim

[Crossfire]

Yes, having serious hearing problems seriously compromises my ability to communicate orally and has all but eliminated my interest in "socializing" with others. Fortunately my wife does 98% of our conversations and 100% of our phone work.

JMO...

I completely agree with you. My mom has had hearing problems for many years. She has always been reserved and quiet, but now, even with the aids, she hardly ever joins in a conversation. Even though she lives less than 10 miles from me, we communicate mostly by email.

[jimlongley]

my dad got some through the VA, he was on Subs for years and the engine noise is blamed for alot of his hearing loss. they've made such a difference! he was pretty young we he got them too.

Those of you who were in the military, check with your VA rep, you might be able to get them through the VA. My FIL could have (planes, I think), but he wouldn't admit he needed them.

I might take your point a little further for the benefit of currently active duty military, Tracy, or, in some cases, those recently discharged.

The physical examination one has in connection with separation from active duty is extremely important -- every little physical problem you have, regardless of how serious it is at the time, should be brought to the attention of your medical examiner. You are looking for having service-connected disabilities rated at the time of separation, and something which seems unimportant may become very important as you age. You may be rated for disabilities even though your overall rating is 0%.

If one is rated as having a service-connected hearing loss he should have no difficulty being provided with hearing aids by the VA. Years ago I knew a CHL instructor who had such a rating, and whose hearing loss worsened as he grew older. When the VA learned of his being a CHL instructor exposed to repetitive sounds of gunshots they provided him, with no hassle, with expensive hearing aids which shut down at the first hint of an explosive sound, as do the better shooting ear muffs.

And never forget that while your military service may not rate you for some perhaps minor physical problem you can always appeal to the VA.

Take it from one who knows through sad experience that even the slightest change in some physical ability should be noted at separation. The passage of time limits your ability to appeal a negative determination to the VA. If you are a member of a veterans organization like the Americn Legion or the VFW they can be of great assistance with such an appeal.

Jim

I brought my hearing difficulty to the examiner's attention when I was having my discharge physical. When I went to the VA a couple of years after I got out I was informed that there was no record of any problem. Interesting in light of the fact that my left eardrum tore during a firing exercise on my ship, with cotton for hearing protection, and the corpsman told me it wasn't a big deal and it would heal with minimal treatment. It did heal, you can see the scar with an otoscope, but I have never heard properly in either ear since then and the left ear is really bad. But there is no record of my having the injury, much less my statement to the corpsman conducting my exit physical.

VA turned me down after a hearing test in which they told me that my hearing loss was "within normal range" for a 25 year old man. The big reason that I went to see them was that it had become more noticeable in my job, as a telephone technician getting specialty training in evaluating telephone lines through the use of multiple tones, some of which I could not hear. I fought with VA for a year or so and then gave up.

The City of Plano TX turned me down for a job a few years ago, as a 911 dispatcher, because I failed their hearing test. This triggered another visit to the VA (after 30+ years) where they never even examined me because I was denied VA benefits due to my income being too high.

So right now I just live with not being able to hear very well and say "What, I didn't hear you?" a lot.

[MeMelYup]

Over the past 10 years I have had aids from 2 different places. First one was a so-called "hi-tech" unit that cost about $2400. for one ear (I only have hearing in one ear due to neurosurgery which removed inner ear components in other ear). This one was "programmed", etc., but did NOT reduce any background noise and did not improve my understanding. Gave up on this one after couple of years.

Several years later I got a "behind-the-ear hi-tech programmed" unit and paid $2200 for it. It too turned out to be rather worthless. Both places were reputable audiologists. It crashed about a year later and wouldn't come back on.

Both aids basically amplified the sound, but did little (for me) to improve my improvement in frequency understanding for voice.

Conclusion: Digital aids are way over priced for what little "microchip" components are in them. I feel most of "cost" (probably 75% or more) goes to the hearing aid service and exam with very little "cost" in the actual components (probably made in China).

As the saying goes... "Quoth The Raven"...

Yes, having serious hearing problems seriously compromises my ability to communicate orally and has all but eliminated my interest in "socializing" with others. Fortunately my wife does 98% of our conversations and 100% of our phone work.

JMO...

They can now replace them. My grandson had surgery when he was 12 for an infection in his ear that was decaying the bone. The Dr. was to restore the hearing after a year making sure they had all the infected bone out, but he was reassigned overseas and it never got done. He is now 25 and a couple months ago a Dr at Scott-n-White in Temple operated on him and he now has 60% in that ear and they expect more improvement in the next couple months. The Dr's hopes before surgery were 60 - 80%. Go see a reputable ear surgeon for an opinion.

[b322da]

Jim Longley,

Stories such as yours are much too common. Discharge rated disabilities cost the particular service, in your case the Navy, I think, and they are simply not to be trusted when it comes to giving ratings. Sources of assistance are veterans organizations, and sometimes the legal profession can help.

I had a sort of reverse of your situation. After my retirement physical I was actually rated for having had a service-connected broken leg, among other things. Never in my life have I had a broken leg. When I called this to the attention of the VA physician reviewing my record, she said "But here's an x-ray of your broken leg in you file." As I got a little more vehement she said, "Well, it must belong in someone else's file. These errors do happen. Just forget about it, as it is an awful lot of trouble amending your record." So, my file still shows a rating for a broken leg. I suggested that a vet somewhere was missing this x-ray in his file, and that, if he has other disabilities, this error might cost him a disability pension. Didn't bother her at all.

On the other side of the coin, I had participated in handgun marksmanship training and competition throughout my military service, when my duty station permitted. I knew I had a little hearing loss, but in my ignorance I failed to bring it to the attention of my medical examiner and did not receive a rating for that. Well after the time for an appeal had lapsed I, continuing to participate in marksmanship competition, became almost totally deaf. At first hearing aids, at my cost, helped greatly. When my hearing dropped down to the approximately 5% level I was essentially completely deaf. Early last year I had a Cochlear implant, and I can hear again.

If there are retired vets out there who have a large hearing loss, and participate in Medicare amd Tricare For Life, be advised that between the two of them they paid 100% of the cost of my Cochlar implant, including costly surgery -- the original bill from the medical providers was in excess of $130,000. Of course Medicare and Tricare paid substantially less, as is always the case, but this figure is what a civilian would have paid without medical insurance which would cover this.

You retirees out there spent at least 20 years of your life often enduring miserable assignments and were paid very little for your service. There are many veterans benefits out there you might look into.

Jim