My hearing has been getting progressively worse for years. It's long past time to Do Something About It.

To that end: I recently had an appointment with an ENT, who verified it was typical hearing loss due to loud sound exposure (probably inadequate ear protection when shooting and too-loud rock-n-roll) and age.

He wrote me up a referral to an audiologist & I set up an appointment.

In the meantime, my wife says "Won't the VA cover some of that?" "I dunno." She checks. Here's what she found:

quote:

What types of hearing aids does the VA offer?

The Veteran’s Administration has contracts in place with six major hearing aid manufacturers - GN ReSound, Oticon, Phonak, Siemens (Signia), Starkey, and Widex. The VA uses the manufacturer’s premium levels of technology-the same hearing aids that sell for the highest prices in the private sector. There are several styles of hearing aids available, from the smallest - Invisible in the Canal (IIC) to the largest and strongest - Power Behind the Ear (BTE), and the very popular Receiver in the Canal (RIC) - made to fit most hearing losses while remaining nearly unseen. VA contracts are updated twice per year, and new technology is constantly emerging and available for use as a result.

Full article: What types of hearing aids does the VA offer?

It just so-happens Oticon is the hearding aid manufacturer I'm pretty certain I want to go with. They have a unique techology that essentially eliminates one of the most common complaints by hearing aid wearers: The "wall of sound" effect. (Learned of this from The Little Book of Hearing Aids, recommended by SF members.)

In fact I'm pretty certain I want Oticon Opn S full-shell or half-shell ITE (In The Ear) hearing aids, with Bluetooth, rechargeable.

There's a VA audiology facility a mere eight miles from me.

So, SF members: Experience with acquiring hearing aids from the VA?

I have the Phonak from the V.A.

Very professional, friendly treatment without any problems.

Normally, they will replace them every 5 years but due to COVID, if you go in at the 2.5 year mark, they will give you an additional set.

Ordering supplies is painless.

I have phonak thru the VA.

[rant] I just got a bill that they ran thru my personal insurance from when they told me I had to have a physical to get into their system here in Temple.

Glad I cancelled my other appointment as they said they want to see you twice a year.

Complete bullshit. My hearing an tinnitus is service related-no questions. But me paying for it and their “prerequisite “ is utter BS.

Mrs. Mike is handling this as I will most likely wind up in jail if I try and deal with it.

[/rant]

That being said, the hearing aid is very good. But I wouldn’t give them any info you have outside insurance.

My father served in WWII, recently turned 100.
Due to the artillery shelling he gets his hearing aids through the VA. When I call him every day, and I have to say my name 20 times, I just hang up, wait a couple minutes, call back and he has his hearing aids in and we have our daily talk!

MikeinNC, your experience is an example of why I've avoided the VA for medical care my entire life. Too many horror stories of people who've had to deal with such things.

And, TBH: I don't know as I could legitimately claim my hearing loss is service-related.

I worked in SatCom, and, right outside our classroom area was the Radar School. One day they told us we all had to go for hearing tests because the bozos in the Radar School had been operating their stuff at Maximum Smoke which, IIRC, they weren't supposed to have been doing.

That was a long time ago. There was no follow-up, at the time, so I must assume they detected no appreciable damage to my hearing.

And, if I'm being honest, and I do tend to be honest: I expect my hearing loss is mostly, if not entirely, my own fault - other than that resulting from age.

So it's kinda sounding to me like I should just stick with the course-of-action I'd laid out: Go to a private practitioner audiologist and carry on from there?

Unless you can establish service connection, the VA is unlikely to be able to help you.

Best first step is to see a VA Service Officer who can guide you through the process and will fill out the paperwork for you if service connection is a possibility.

I'm not out-of-pocket for ANYTHING, including the civilian audiologist, but then I'm old, on Medicare and retired military so I have Tricare for Life.

No hearing aids here for myself or the wife (she is a veteran also) but both could not be happier with the care and services received. Over the years while hearing so many bad stories of the care and treatment that the VA provided I swore to stay far away from the VA medical care.... to make a long story short both myself and wife about 5 years ago signed up and now wished that we had done it years ago. Especially the wife because the VA found a major heart problem that she knew nothing about and it was taken care of quickly. ..So if nothing else please check into signing on into the program. ................................ But do know several veterans who have received hearing aids thru the VA without any problems and done in a very reasonable time frame. ............................... drill sgt.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: drill sgt,

I have Starkey hearing aids from the VA, but I'm 60% disabled also , so getting them was no big deal for me.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
Unless you can establish service connection, the VA is unlikely to be able to help you.

Best first step is to see a VA Service Officer who can guide you through the process and will fill out the paperwork for you if service connection is a possibility.

I'm not out-of-pocket for ANYTHING, including the civilian audiologist, but then I'm old, on Medicare and retired military so I have Tricare for Life.

The VFW service officer was very good to us.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
MikeinNC, your experience is an example of why I've avoided the VA for medical care my entire life. Too many horror stories of people who've had to deal with such things.

And, TBH: I don't know as I could legitimately claim my hearing loss is service-related.

I worked in SatCom, and, right outside our classroom area was the Radar School. One day they told us we all had to go for hearing tests because the bozos in the Radar School had been operating their stuff at Maximum Smoke which, IIRC, they weren't supposed to have been doing.

That was a long time ago. There was no follow-up, at the time, so I must assume they detected no appreciable damage to my hearing.

And, if I'm being honest, and I do tend to be honest: I expect my hearing loss is mostly, if not entirely, my own fault - other than that resulting from age.

So it's kinda sounding to me like I should just stick with the course-of-action I'd laid out: Go to a private practitioner audiologist and carry on from there?

You are cheating yourself if you don't at least try.

.

I saw you are going for rechargeable hearing aids.

To share with others that might not know ~ the VA will mail hearing aid batteries directly to your home.

.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

it's kinda sounding to me like I should just stick with the course-of-action I'd laid out: Go to a private practitioner audiologist and carry on from there?

If Costco is an option for you, you would probably save a bundle of $$$.

quote:

Unless you can establish service connection, the VA is unlikely to be able to help you.

The VA gave me hearing aids free about 3 years ago & they even suggested it. My hearing was only affected in the higher pitch according to the tests. No paperwork or anything. Maybe it was because I had an Infantry enlisted & infantry officer's MOS, & was in the Army 1967 thru 1969.

I just got mine through the VA a few months ago. I knew my hearing was bad, but had no idea how bad until I put the hearing aids in.

The process was pretty quick and easy. For me they were 100% free since my hearing loss was service related (I'm not sure exactly how determined that)

You should make an appointment and see. The worst that can happen is they tell you no.

I have Oticon More hearing aids from the VA. It took a while, but ended up showing hearing loss and tinnitus are survive related.

No charges to my insurance for anything I’ve had done through the VA. Your disability rating will be the determining factor on charges for non service connected treatments.

quote:

Best first step is to see a VA Service Officer who can guide you through the process and will fill out the paperwork for you if service connection is a possibility

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This is the best course of action. Private insurance typically does not pay for hearing aids. You will have to become a registered patient at the VA and there is I am sure some waiting and bureaucratic hassle involved.

I went to my county VA Assistance Officer and he did all the paperwork. Effortless for me and I had hearing aids within a month. I did have to get a referral from a VA doc but the assistance offered set that up for me also.

I put in a claim in 2017 for hearing loss and tinnitus. They sent me to the Audiologist and she tested me. I was service connected for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
They gave me Resound hearing aids and I love them and they send me batteries every 6 months.

I have two Veteran friends that wanted to know how I got my hearing aids. Neither one were service connected. One had never been to the VA. I told him to take his DD-214 to the Baton Rouge day clinic and tell them what he wanted. They signed him up for health care and tested him. The test showed how bad his hearing was and the gave him hearing aids. He's almost 80 so it never to late to get them. The other needed them and I told him the same thing. He was already in the VA system so I told his wife to call the Audiologist at the Baton Rouge clinic and make an appointment for him. He went in and was tested and he's had his new rechargeable hearing aids for a few weeks and loves them.

The VA has really changed in about the last 5 years for hearing aids and glasses.

So GO get checked

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
Unless you can establish service connection, the VA is unlikely to be able to help you.

In retrospect: I might be able to. I was looking at a list of MOS' and their probability of causing hearing loss and tinnitus (both of which I have). "Ground radar" is listed as "high" and SatCom as "moderate."

quote:

Originally posted by ulsterman:
You are cheating yourself if you don't at least try.

Plus I'd never hear the end of it from the family CFO if I didn't

quote:

Originally posted by sleepla8er:
I saw you are going for rechargeable hearing aids.

I am, because I don't want to have to deal with fiddly little batteries every couple weeks. My dexterity isn't what it once was, either. (Annoys the bejesus out of me, too.)

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
If Costco is an option for you, you would probably save a bundle of $$$.

We have a Costco membership, but I'm not interested in the products they sell.


Thanks, everybody, for the feedback. I'll contact the VA and see what, if anything, they can do for me. I'll let y'all know.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

it's kinda sounding to me like I should just stick with the course-of-action I'd laid out: Go to a private practitioner audiologist and carry on from there?

If Costco is an option for you, you would probably save a bundle of $$$.

I have been using COSTCO hearing aids for years. I have the rechargeable ones. As I recall, they are supposed to last for about 3 days without a recharge.

Never tested them for that. COSTCO has really good hearing aid service. At good prices and excellent service.

I was in there yesterday for a minor problem, and it took about 2 minutes for them to solve the problem and I was on my way. No charge. And the other supplies (those soft pieces that go into the ear channel) are free as well.