Jan Blustein and Frank R. Lin, Opinion Contributors - THE HILL, published on May 17, 2017:
We are a nation divided: Democrats versus Republicans, Red States versus Blue States. On countless major issues, consensus seems impossible. But there is one thing that members of the Congress apparently can agree on: Hearing aids are too darned expensive.
At $2,500 apiece, hearing aids are beyond the reach of many Americans --- especially seniors who are most likely to need them (among people 70 and older, two-thirds have a hearing loss affecting their daily conversation). The cost of hearing aids is not covered by Medicare, or by most insurance companies. But hearing loss has serious health consequences: research has shown that it is associated with isolation, depression, and the risk of developing dementia. Only one in five people with a hearing loss uses a hearing aid. If hearing aids were widely available, the potential benefits to societal health and well-being are immense.