Medicade: Restore hearing-aid benefits for adults

Hearing aids are my lifeline. They allow me to converse with friends, family and emergency personnel. They enable me to participate in meetings, government and social activities. I can afford hearing aids, but if I were on Medicaid, I could not.

For many of the 650,000 Washingtonians with hearing loss, the price of hearing aids and comprehensive care is beyond reach. For a person on Medicaid, the cost is prohibitive.

Treating hearing loss is as important as treating other health conditions. Expanding coverage to include adults is essential to enable Medicaid recipients with hearing loss to be functional members of society. (Children are already covered.)

Untreated hearing loss contributes to increased Medicaid costs due to hearing-loss related injuries, physical and mental health problems.

The benefits are clear: equitable treatment for all ages, more people able to work more productively, reduced health and financial risks, and better communication. To build a strong, dynamic state, doesn’t it make sense to ensure that all Washingtonians may hear?

Let your lawmakers know you support Medicaid coverage of hearing-aids for adults in the final Washington state budget.

This story was originally published May 5, 2017 at 6:24 PM with the headline "Medicade: Restore hearing-aid benefits for adults."