Affordable Hearing Aids

Posted on: 10:40 am, June 29, 2012, by Tara Blume, updated on: 10:45am, June 29, 2012

Seniors seeking financial help to purchase hearing aids have several options. For the complete listing go to http://savvysenior.org/

In Oklahoma, the Department of Rehabilitation Services offers the Senior Citizens Hearing Aid Program, which provides Oklahoma residents, age 60 and older with limited income, one free non-digital hearing aid from a participating audiologist. To learn more or apply, see www.osd.k12.ok.us/edp or call the Oklahoma School for the Deaf at 888-685-3323

HEAR Now: Sponsored by the Starkey Hearing Foundation (starkeyhearingfoundation.org, 800-328-8602), this program provides hearing aids for people with net incomes below $19,058 for a single or $25,743 for couples. Your only costs are a hearing test and an application fee of $125 per hearing aid request.

Lions Affordable Hearing Aid Project: Offered through some Lions clubs throughout the U.S., this program provides the opportunity to purchase new, digital hearing aids manufactured by Rexton for $200 per aid, plus shipping. To be eligible, most clubs will require your income to be somewhere below 200 percent of the federal poverty level which is $22,340 for singles, or $30,260 for couples. Contact your local Lions club (see lionsclubs.org for contact information) to see if they participate in this project.

Sertoma: A civic service organization that runs a hearing aid recycling program through its 500 clubs nationwide, refurbishes them, and distributes them to local people in need. Call 800-593-5646 or visit sertoma.org to locate a club in your area.

Audient: This program (audientalliance.org, 866-956-5400) helps people purchase new, digital hearing aids at reduced prices ranging from $495 to $975 for one hearing aid, or $990 to $1,575 for a pair. To be eligible, your income must be below $27,075 for a single or $36,425 for couples.

For a list of more programs, call the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders at 800-241-1044 and ask them to mail you their list of financial resources for hearing aids.