Many people around the United States turn to private insurance companies like Aetna to supplement their Original Medicare insurance. In fact, out of the 57 million Americans who have Medicare coverage, 31 percent of them have a Medicare Advantage plan.
Aetna is a health care benefits company that has a wide range of health insurance products and services including plans that cover medical, pharmaceutical, and dental care.
Many Medicare-approved companies like Aetna offer Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans to eligible Medicare recipients. Medicare Advantage plans are required to include all the benefits and services that are included in Original Medicare Parts A and B, but many provide additional benefits and services, such as vision and dental care, hearing exams, and prescription drug coverage.
Because different types of coverage plans are available based on where you live, you should discuss the details with a licensed agent near your home. If your health care provider has suggested that you get hearing aids, it is important for you to know whether your Aetna Medicare policy may help cover the costs.
Does Aetna Medicare Cover Hearing Aids?
Original Medicare usually does not offer any coverage for hearing aids, and hearing tests may be covered by Medicare only if your primary care physician gives a referral to an audiologist. If hearing loss is disrupting your quality of life, you may need supplemental coverage through a private insurance company to get help with hearing aid costs.
What coverage you have for hearing aids depends on which Aetna Medicare plan you are enrolled in and the state you live in. In the United States only five states require that insurance companies provide coverage for hearing aids for adults as well as children. Some plans, like the Aetna Medicare Value Plan, offer discounts or allowances for hearing aids. The allowance is a specified amount of money that is deducted from the final cost of the hearing aids.
Depending on which Medicare plan you have enrolled in, benefits can either be included in the plan’s premium or by paying an additional premium to get an optional supplemental benefit. You may be able to choose to have either an allowance or a network benefit. With the allowance benefit you can visit any licensed health care provider for the service. You pay them directly and your insurance reimburses your allowance amount. If you choose a network benefit you get the service from a network health care provider and your insurance pays them directly.
Your final cost out-of-pocket is determined by the hearing aid’s level of quality and the style. There are four styles of hearing aids. The most basic is one that sits behind the ear (BTE), the next level is an in-the-ear (ITE), followed by in-the-canal (ITC), and completely in the canal (CIC). The top-level hearing aid is one that is invisible in the canal (IIC).
Hearing Aids with Aetna Medicare Coverage
If you have been putting off getting hearing aids because of high costs, perhaps you should consider how valuable good hearing is. Not only does poor hearing mean you lose parts of conversations with friends and family members, it may be costing you money at work. According to studies, hearing loss that is not treated is cause for an average reduction of $12,000.00 in annual income. Hearing loss that is left untreated can also be linked to dementia, depression, hypertension, and an increased risk of falling.
With the possibility of getting up to an 85 percent discount from private supplemental insurance companies like Aetna, your Medicare insurance benefits may make hearing aids more affordable.
To get all the details about Medicare coverage through private companies like Aetna, have a chat with a licensed agent in your area. The type of plan available to you depends on where you live and what type of coverage meets your specific needs.
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