It’s common for people to think about which doctors are covered by a health insurance plan and the monthly costs and copays before choosing. Some may also consider adding dental and vision care, but it’s less common for people to think about coverage to see an audiologist. You may need to see an audiologist when you get older, or if you experience specific symptoms.
An audiologist is equipped to provide an effective diagnosis and treatment plan for a range of medical issues. Depending on your needs you may opt to have long-term audiology coverage or choose between short term medical plans that cover audiology.
What Do Audiologists Do?
An audiologist is a highly trained professional who specializes in medical issues related to a person’s ears. In order to become an audiologist, you must have a bachelor’s degree and a medical degree. Audiologists must also be licensed by the state they work in. They may treat individuals who are deaf or those who have suffered hearing loss. It’s also common for individuals to require care from an audiologist when they get older.
Like all medical doctors, audiologists evaluate their patients and diagnose them. They also teach people how to protect their hearing so that they don’t suffer hearing loss. Treatments can vary from cleaning a person’s ears to prescribing hearing aids or recommending surgical implants. Audiologists also address the emotional aspects of suffering hearing loss and help people develop new communication skills, such as lip-reading.
Reasons to See an Audiologist
It’s most common to associate audiologists with hearing problems. In some cases, a person is born without the ability to hear, or with limited hearing abilities. Others may have their hearing impacted by an incident, such as prolonged exposure to loud sounds. Patients with ringing in their ears will also be treated by audiologists. There are also a number of other symptoms that may be reasons to see an audiologist. Do you get dizzy? Do you have balance issues?
Sometimes, people don’t realize there may be an issue because their hearing problems are situational. When you have trouble hearing people of specific genders and ages whose voices are at a higher pitch, it can indicate you have a hearing problem even if you can hear lower male voices clearly. Although hearing loss is commonly associated with aging, getting older doesn’t have to mean losing your hearing, and seeing an audiologist sooner may help you establish effective preventative care to preserve your hearing.
Short-Term Audiology Plans
When you realize you have symptoms that require you to see an audiologist you may discover that your health insurance plan doesn’t cover those costs. This doesn’t mean that you have to pay out of pocket. There are insurance companies that offer short-term coverage for some services, including audiological services. Perhaps your hearing issues are associated with a build-up of wax and you need a professional to remove it. Getting short-term insurance may be sufficient to cover this treatment and restore your hearing.
If your hearing has been affected by an accident or unexpected event, such as an explosion, you may also require some short-term care to restore your hearing. It’s an option to take out short-term coverage and see an audiologist first before purchasing a long-term insurance plan if you don’t already have insurance that covers audiological care.
Long-Term Audiology Insurance
It may appear like short-term plans are more cost-effective initially, but if you may have permanent hearing loss or a medical issue that is going to require ongoing medical care for several months you will want to investigate long-term insurance plans. You may think that getting hearing aids solves your issue and you no longer need to see an audiologist, but if your hearing aids are lost or damaged you may need to return for replacements. Those who need long-term coverage can evaluate a range of options.
It’s possible to take out insurance that covers all audiological care. Individuals with specific issues may opt to explore where to buy Tinnitus 911 or other coverage plans specifically focused on their diagnosis. This is an important consideration because plans may have limited coverage of specific types of treatments or procedures. Let’s say one long-term plan covers one ear cleaning per year, but you’re prone to wax build-up and may need three or four. It’s important to evaluate what each plan covers to ensure it meets your specific needs.
