There are several possible sources for Financial Aid for Deafness and Hearing Loss, and today’s post is dedicated to provide you with some proper information on this matter. The cost of hearing loss is pretty substantial and expensive. There are many procedures and examinations just to find out the type of hearing loss you’re suffering. What’s more, the hearing aid equipment is also expensive! This is especially hard for those who have limited income, especially when there are only a handful of insurance that are willing to cover hearing aids (even if they do, many insurance plan require specific reasons for the hearing loss).
But not all hope is lost. There are some help that may come from the government or foundations and organizations across the country.
Financial Aid for Deafness and Hearing Loss Programs
The Federal government provides funding for this kind of program and distributes them to the state agencies. Typically it is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services or equivalent agencies. Medicaid is the primary program from the government that may be able to help those who have hearing loss or deafness to get certain treatment or equipment.
That being said, it is important to know that since the Federal government provides some degree of freedom for the management, there may be some differences in each state. Therefore, make sure you contact the department in your state and ask if there’s coverage for deafness or not, and what are the requirements. Alternatively, you can also ask for programs under the Title V (five) program that can provide hearing aids for those who are deaf that cannot afford one. These programs won’t be able to provide direct financial help for deafness and hearing loss, but they’re still useful.
You can actually get real financial aid from the government, although with some limitations. Through the SSDI or SSI Disability Benefits from the Social Security Administration, some eligible citizen may receive monthly stipend. The eligibility is determined primarily by your income and the severity of the deafness. Contact your state’s SSA office for more information.
Again, it is fairly hard to find a program that specifically provide free money for deafness and hearing loss because most of the programs available from the government and organizations are focused on helping the needy people to become independent. Hence, most of them provide support or funding for assistive technology. What’s more, it is often that these organizations have limited funding, so even if they can help, it would be only for a very small number of people. That being said, these organizations are perfect places to seek information.
You should head to the National Assistive Technology Technical Assistance Partnership (NATTAP), one of the best sources for information on state programs that are related to the hearing loss or deafness. Alternatively, the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center is also a great place to start your search on the available programs in your local area.
I hope this post help, and I sincerely wish you the best in your search for your deafness financial aid.
References:
- Administration for Children & Families – http://www.acf.hhs.gov/
- Louisiana Commission for the Deaf – http://new.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/page/318
- State Vocational Rehabilitation Programs – http://www.parac.org/svrp.html
- Image: hasa.org
