V.A. say you get a new set every 5 years. Due to COVID, you get a new set every 2.5 years.

I had my hearing tested lately and the lady said if I needed hearing aids, the VA was the best place to go.

A childhood friend and my former dentist, just got hearing aids from the VA. He was a dentist in the Navy and they apparently used high speed drills and all former Navy dentists are eligible with very little hassle.

quote:

Originally posted by ulsterman:
V.A. say you get a new set every 5 years. Due to COVID, you get a new set every 2.5 years.

Thanks I need to check on that. Mine are right a 5 years old and having some problems with them.

Updates

Talked to the VA. Woman I talked to said much the same as several here have: You never know unless you try. But, a couple comments she made suggested to me it would probably be futile--one of which related to the fact I had been out of the service for quite some time. When I mentioned my MOS didn't rate high on the "likely to result in service-related hearing loss" she agreed that would likely not help my chances. (Didn't come right out and say either of these things. She was obviously doing her best not to dissuade me. But, "hearing between the lines," as it were...)

Since the only places to go to file, etc. are in Detroit and, IIRC, Ann Arbor, and my feeling is it's probably a waste of time, I've chosen to forego the exercise.

On a brighter note: It turns out our Medicare MediGap insurance plan includes a discount plan for hearing aids that will save me 30-60% on their cost. It took all of several minutes on the phone to get approved. Didn't even have to change the hearing aid appointment I already had set up for day-after-tomorrow

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
Updates

Talked to the VA. Woman I talked to said much the same as several here have: You never know unless you try. But, a couple comments she made suggested to me it would probably be futile--one of which related to the fact I had been out of the service for quite some time. When I mentioned my MOS didn't rate high on the "likely to result in service-related hearing loss" she agreed that would likely not help my chances. (Didn't come right out and say either of these things. She was obviously doing her best not to dissuade me. But, "hearing between the lines," as it were...)

Since the only places to go to file, etc. are in Detroit and, IIRC, Ann Arbor, and my feeling is it's probably a waste of time, I've chosen to forego the exercise.

On a brighter note: It turns out our Medicare MediGap insurance plan includes a discount plan for hearing aids that will save me 30-60% on their cost. It took all of several minutes on the phone to get approved. Didn't even have to change the hearing aid appointment I already had set up for day-after-tomorrow

I had been out of the Army for 42 years when I put in a claim for Tinnitus and Hearing Loss. I went to a VSO that worked for The Louisiana State Veterans Affairs. I told her I would like to put in a claim because of my hearing problems.
I had never had anything to do with the VA until then. She sent off for my records and they were mailed to me.
When the records came in I told them to her and she put in a claim for me.
I went to the Baton Rouge VA day clinic and signed up for VA health care.
Then I got a call and was sent to a VES C&P at a Audiologist and that Dr. talked to me about my time in the Army and what I was exposed to. Then she did hearing test and told me I needed hearing aids and the tinnitus.

Weeks later my claim was approved for Service Connected Bilateral Hearing Loss and Tinnitus.
So I called the Baton Rouge VA clinic and told the Audiologist I would like to get some hearing aids.
She asked a couple questions and read my hearing test results from the C&P. She wanted to know what color I wanted and told me she would call me when they came in.

I went a couple weeks later and she fitted me with them and that was it. I had to go back for some adjustments and that was it.


I have a friend that got out of the Army in the 60's and asked me about how I got my hearing aids. He didn't want to put in a claim he just wanted to get hearing aids.
I told him to go to Baton Rouge VA and take his DD-214 and explain his problem to them. They signed him up for healthcare and set him up for a hearing test. Test showed he needed hearing aids. So they ordered his and he can hear now.

Sadly when I finally talk to my father about trying to go through the VA for hearing aids, he said he’d rather pay the money out of pocket (which he surely doesn’t have) than ever deal with the VA again.

quote:

Originally posted by charlie12:
I went to the Baton Rouge VA day clinic and signed up for VA health care.
...
I have a friend that got out of the Army in the 60's ... They signed him up for healthcare ...

The point I think you're missing is, as I explained already, I'm not eligible for VA health care due to my income.

So the only way I could get hearing aids from the VA is if I could prove service-related hearing loss. Since my MOS was not one that put me at much risk for hearing loss and I haven't filed for a hearing loss disability until nearly fifty years after separation, that would be a tough case to make.

Even I am not convinced my hearing loss is service related. So, even if I wanted to try to convince them I felt it was... well... let us just say I'm a poor poker player

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
Sadly when I finally talk to my father about trying to go through the VA for hearing aids, he said he’d rather pay the money out of pocket (which he surely doesn’t have) than ever deal with the VA again.

Let me be clear on one point: Everybody to whom I've talked at the VA has been nothing but professional, polite, and as helpful as they could be.

If I either qualified for VA health care or I honestly believed my hearing loss was service related and felt I could make the case, I would definitely go for it.

As others told me when I first brought this up: I think your dad may be leaving money on the table if he doesn't at least look into it.

Update

Got my hearing aids this morning. Wow. I'm hearing things I haven't heard for years--and that's with them set to only 64% of where the software says I need to be, based upon my audiology test results.

I can see why they start them off low. Even at this level all the "new" sounds are a bit disorienting.

quote:

Originally posted by 95flhr:
I have Oticon More hearing aids from the VA.

That's what I ended up with: Oticon More MiniRITE R's.

The only thing they don't do I wish they did was use their microphones during phone calls. Audiologist said Phonak is the only one that does. The other manufacturers claim call audio quality isn't that great, using the hearing aid microphones.

I can still use my Apple AirPods if I want to.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
[The VA] gave me a set of Phonak hearing aids. I don't wear them as they produce a kind of rushing noise or "wall of sound". Audiologist said I would get used to it. I haven't.

That's why I went with Oticon and went top tier. They were expensive, nearly $5k after our MediGap plan's hearing aid discount, but, I figured, better to spend a lot on hearing aids I'd actually use then less on those I wouldn't.

No odd noises, so far. Just sounds I haven't heard in a long, long time.

Listened to music for a bit on the way home. It sounded very good.

My wife was speaking to a friend on the phone in the next room, telling her about my new ears, and said "Now I'll have to watch what I say" and I called out "Damn right you will!"

BHA (Before Hearing Aids) what I would've heard in that situation would've been a dull, unintelligible mumble.

I have a little news too.

I went to the VA a couple weeks ago with a problem with my hearing aids.
They kept one to send in for repairs and told me it was time to get new ones.

I had a appointment Tuesday for a new hearing test. My hearing is a little worse than it was about 5 years ago.

He ordered my new hearing aids and I should get them in a few weeks.

I have Resound Linx2 now and the new ones will be the Resound One.

quote:

Originally posted by charlie12:
I have a little news too.

I went to the VA a couple weeks ago with a problem with my hearing aids.
They kept one to send in for repairs and told me it was time to get new ones.

I had a appointment Tuesday for a new hearing test. My hearing is a little worse than it was about 5 years ago.

He ordered my new hearing aids and I should get them in a few weeks.

I have Resound Linx2 now and the new ones will be the Resound One.

i just got a pair of resound one from va tuesday, still trying to figure them out!!

Initial impressions and experiences after New Ears Day:

Had them in from about 10:00 yesterday morning until midnight. Still had ±45% charge in both aids as of the last I checked, at about 23:00. So they'll definitely go a full day on a charge.

By the end of the evening sounds were no longer sounding so weird. So I guess my brain is adapting well to the change

Watching TV, last night, was able to turn the sound down so it was no longer uncomfortably loud for my wife. Found myself no longer paying quite so much attention to the subtitles. Only had to ask my wife to repeat herself once, all day long. (I was walking away from her, she was about fifteen feet away, and her voice is weak and rough from the Wu Flu.) My wife says my own voice is about half the volume it was BHA (Before Hearing Aids).

Getting them re-inserted this morning was a bit of a challenge, but I'm told that'll become easier with practice.

Speaking of which: I'd feared having something sitting behind my ears and inserted in my ear canals all day would become annoying. Nope. Hasn't been a problem.

So: So far, so good

Update

It's been about a month. I saw my audiologist for a follow-up visit earlier today.

A bit of explanation: When you get new hearing aids they don't turn the correction all the way up, right out of the gate. They start the correction at a much lower level, then gradually raise it over time. (I believe some hearing aids can do this automatically. Mine don't.)

She was going to turn them up to the 2nd accustomization level. But, during the visit she turned them to the full prescription level. I told her I thought that would work for me.

So what she did was set the default program to the full prescription level, put the 2nd level in program #2, and, at my request, the initial level in program #3. That way, if I find myself somewhere where there's a lot of higher-frequency racket, I can selectively turn down the highs.

She also raised the level from the phone a notch, to make phone calls more understandable, and tweaked something else to somewhat reduce wind noise.

I have a bit more than fifteen days remaining on the forty-five day trial period, but I don't see myself returning these. I'm really, really happy with them. I've trialed them in a variety of environments and found no fault with them.

As per Oticon's claims: No "wall of sound" and I can indeed distinguish conversations going on behind me, and precisely where they are.

While I was there I bought the optional portable charger. Between an initial charge and the portable charger I should be able to get at least four days of wakeup-to-bedtime (±16 hours) operation without having to plug anything into anything. The portable charger can be recharged from any USB source.

All is not sweetness and light, however. I find I now have an annoying rattle from somewhere in the back of the Jeep

Great news/report ensigmatic!

I take my Phonaks in for a minor adjustment in a couple of weeks. I want the right side default turned up one click and maybe (or maybe not...) the left side turned down one click.

One oddity of these is that either side adjusts BOTH sides the same amount so if I turn it up so the right side is where I want it, the left side is too loud.

I put mine in the charger/carry case every night when I go to bed, and usually in the afternoon for an hour when I take a nap. I have run all day several times and only got to the yellow condition so it's not really necessary, but it's as convenient a place as any to store them, and when I close the lid at night it also has a desiccant to dry them out if needed.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
Great news/report ensigmatic!

Thanks. Yeah, I'm delighted

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
One oddity of [my Phonaks] is that either side adjusts BOTH sides the same amount so if I turn it up so the right side is where I want it, the left side is too loud.

I don't know about your Phonaks, but my Oticon Mores can be set up so the on-device controls adjust them in tandem or independently. She set them up to tandem. I can still adjust them in tandem or separately with the app on my iPhone. Mine are well-balanced, though, so I haven't had the need.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
I put mine in the charger/carry case every night when I go to bed, and usually in the afternoon for an hour when I take a nap.

I usually don't bother taking them out when napping, but I do turn them off.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
... and when I close the lid at night it also has a desiccant to dry them out if needed.

The new portable Oticon charger de-humidifies, too, but one YT review I read suggested leaving the lid open, otherwise you create a sauna in there.

Remember to clean out any wax that seems to like to get in there. If you don't keep up on the wax cleaning it tends to migrate out of reach of the cleaning tool.

quote:

The new portable Oticon charger de-humidifies, too, but one YT review I read suggested leaving the lid open, otherwise you create a sauna in there.

Hadn't noticed any issue with that. I do leave the lid open during my naps, but close it at night as the blinking lights from the charging cycle bother me.

The kit I was issued includes a spare desiccant capsule. Nice thing about it being from the VA, all consumables are free, just order them up on line when needed.

I have Phonak through the VA. I'm completely happy with them.

This is going to sound like one of those JJ Walker commercials but I had no idea I was eligible for VA benefits until a guy that I served with who works for the Department of Veteran's Affairs contacted me and offered to review my records and submit a claim on my behalf.

Long story short the process took 2 years but I was deemed 70% disabled. I receive a monthly pension and everything BUT dental care free.

I would HIGHLY recommend that you NOT try to navigate the process alone. Contact your local American Legion or VFW and let them put you in contact with an advocate.

Three friends in Houston who went to VA for hearing aids. All 3 were approved.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
Since the only places to go to file, etc. are in Detroit and, IIRC, Ann Arbor, and my feeling is it's probably a waste of time, I've chosen to forego the exercise.

That could very well be one of the biggest mistakes you
will EVER make.

quote:

Originally posted by yanici:
Remember to clean out any wax that seems to like to get in there. If you don't keep up on the wax cleaning it tends to migrate out of reach of the cleaning tool.

I do. Regularly. I also clean my ears regularly. Besides: The tips upon which the domes mount have replaceable wax filters, with which the aids included a whole bunch.