Archive for May, 2009

Medicaid Hearing Aid Benefits

The State of Texas, through TMHP (Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership) offers generous hearing aid benefits to qualified Medicaid recipients. You can now receive those Medicaid hearing aid benefits at Hearing Aid Express.

What Are the Medicaid Hearing Benefits?

Medicaid recipients are entitled to a free hearing test. If you have a hearing loss that falls within TMHP’s guidelines you may be eligible for hearing aids at no cost to you.

Did the Medicaid Hearing Benefits Change?

Yes they have! Before, Medicaid would only provide one hearing aid every six years. Now, they provide up to two hearing aids every five years.

What if Medicaid Already Gave Me a Hearing Aid?

If you have a hearing loss in both ears, you may be eligible for a hearing aid for the ear that wasn’t fit. If the last time you got a hearing aid through Medicaid was more than five years ago you may be eligible for two hearing aids.

How Do I Find Out if I am Eligible?

Call us! You will need to have a copy of your current Medicaid card. We can verify your benefits online with TMHP.

How Do I Use My Hearing Aid Benefits?

First you will need to see a medical doctor. The doctor will examine your ears to make sure there aren’t any medical conditions that need to be treated. If there aren’t any medical reasons that would keep you from being fit with a hearing aid, your doctor signs a “Physician’s Examination Report” and gives a copy of it to you. We need a signed copy of this form before we can test your hearing. Your doctor’s office should have a copy of this form (called a B.41). You can also pick up a copy of the form at any Hearing Aid Express office, call us and we will fax one to you, or click here to download a copy that you can print.

What if Medicaid Made Me Enroll in a Private Plan like Ameriroup?

Hearing Aid Express is a network provider for a number of Medicaid private plans. We can help you if you are enrolled with Traditional Medicaid, Amerigroup, Molina, certain Evercare plans and others. Get your current Medicaid card, call our office and we will check your benefits for you!

Where Do I Go To Get My Hearing Benefits?

Visit any Hearing Aid Express location. We have four offices in Houston, three in Dallas and two in Austin. To see which location is closest to you, click here.

What if I Still Have Questions?

Call us! We will be glad to help:

Houston: (800) 348-2018

Dallas: (800) 628-8250

Austin: (877) 512-4327

Did you know that May is Better Speech and Hearing Month? There’s a great letter to the editor in Pottsville, Pennsylvania’s Republican Herald that talks about the significance of this month and what the signs of hearing loss are.

Proclaimed by the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (of which the writer is a member), Better Speech and Hearing Month helps remind us of very important issues. The American Speech-Language and Hearing Association says that there are approximately 28 million Americans with a hearing impairment, and hearing loss affects 17 in 1,000 kids under 18. The writer stresses that if you think your child might be suffering from hearing loss, ask the school nurse to give them a hearing test.

Still, Better Speech and Hearing Month is for adults as well as kids. Adults who have a tough time hearing a person just two feet away might be showing a sign of impending hearing loss. Same goes for if they’re watching television at such a high volume that others ask them to turn it down, or if they have to frequently ask others to repeat themselves.

According to the writer, the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association estimated that of people over 65 years old, 314 in 1,000 have a hearing loss and of those older than 75, 40-50% have a hearing loss. What’s more is that the writer notes that the NIDCD says only one out of five people who could benefit from a hearing aid wear one.

If you think you may be experiencing some hearing loss, you may benefit from wearing hearing aids. Contact Hearing Aid Express today, or see a hearing professional to get your hearing tested.

Are you in the Austin area and interested in hearing aids? If so, you may have seen our full-page color ad in today’s Austin American-Statesman. This week only, May 11-15, Austin and Cedar Park Hearing Aid Express locations are having a special event.

Wanted: 90 people! Be one of the first individuals in the U.S. to try the world’s most invisible hearing system. The ReSound bug is the first custom hearing aid ever created with Invisible Open Technology. It is made to fit entirely inside your ear.

The ReSound bug hearing aid fits entirely inside your ear — it’s cutting edge technology. This hearing aid has a microscopic sound processor. Traditional hearing aids are a thing of the past. The ReSound bug hearing aid is offered exclusively at Hearing Aid Express.

Unlike traditional hearing aids, the ReSound bug is a hearing aid engineered with Invisible Open Technology, which makes it an innovative — and virtually invisible — hearing instrument.

This week only, the ReSound bug is $1,495 each at Hearing Aid Express in Austin and Cedar Park. This offer cannot be combined with any other offer and expires on May 15, 2009.

Hearing Aid Express has another fantastic deal going on this week at the Austin and Cedar Park locations: All models of GN ReSound Essence are $695. Don’t be fooled by inferior technology — the ReSound Essence hearing aid is the most customizable longest-lasting hearing instrument in its class and comes standard with these features:

• Power-saving chip technology for extended battery life
• Three customizable programs
• NoiseTracker noise reduction
• Low battery indicator
• Dual Stabilizer DFS feedback manager
• Dual microphone technology

(Fitting range of up to 65/85dB loss. Some restrictions apply. At time of purchase only. Expires May 15, 2009.)

Don’t miss this great event all week long at Hearing Aid Express in Austin and Cedar Park!

Hearing Aid Express: Austin
8127 Mesa Dr., #B-207
(512) 346-6884

Hearing Aid Express: Cedar Park
200 South Bell Blvd., #C-1
(512) 249-9367

Mother’s Day is coming up this Sunday, May 10th. If your mom has been experiencing difficulty hearing, consider giving her the gift of hearing. Hearing aids can dramatically improve a person’s life, as they can allow the user to hear sounds more clearly and loudly. From family dinners to picnics in the park, to watching her grandchild’s music recital or school play, just think of how much Mom would enjoy hearing better.

Hearing loss affects 10 million Americans aged 45 to 64. And six out of seven of those don’t yet benefit from wearing hearing aids. Hearing loss is actually only second to arthritis in terms of the most common issues for older adults.

Has your mom been thinking about getting hearing aids? If so, this Mother’s Day might be the perfect opportunity to make her wish come true. We offer many, many different kinds of hearing aids here at Hearing Aid Express. And with convenient locations in Austin, Dallas and Houston, you just might live close to one and can come by to find out more information. We also accept Medicaid hearing aid benefits.

Hearing aids from ReSound, Starkey and Unitron can all be found at Hearing Aid Express. If you have concerns about hearing aids being too big or embarrassing, we’re here to say that there are several discreet hearing aids that can barely be noticed, and many that are nearly invisible and do not block the ear canal.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us or find a location near you.