Dear Friends:

Beginning on January 1, adults covered by Medicaid will get coverage for hearing aids for the first time since 2010.  A bill passed in the last legislative session to restore the coverage, which was removed as a result of budget cuts needed to address the recession.

The coverage is limited; but it is better than nothing.  Hearing evaluation, one (or two, under certain circumstances) hearing aid(s), and three follow-up visits, plus replacement every five years, are covered.  If you have clients who are eligible for Medicaid who appear to have hearing loss, please refer them to this web site at which they can get more information. If they are in a managed care plan, all they will have to do is contact that provider.

People with hearing loss who get hearing aids can do much better at work and socially and will also benefit from less progression toward dementia and other adverse health conditions.  The research about the effects of hearing loss is exponentially increasing, and it all points to the benefits of getting hearing aids.

Because this information is not “out there”, I thought you might find it useful.

--Cynthia Stewart