Is hearing aid insurance worth it?
- Koorosh Nejad
- Jun 11, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Hearing aids have become more technologically advanced and more versatile in recent years. You can connect them to your smartphone through Bluetooth and listen to soundtracks, or answer calls hands-free. They’ve also become a lot smaller and more expensive. The price of a pair of premium hearing aids in the UK today ranges from £995 to more than £4,995; they are among the most expensive personal items you can own. Unfortunately, they can easily be lost or damaged. This may lead you to ask: Are hearing aids covered by my insurance?
In this article, you will learn about:
Can I claim lost hearing aids on my home insurance?
Are my hearing aids covered by insurance?
What other options are there to purchase an insurance policy for my hearing aids?
What to consider when buying an insurance policy for my hearing aids?
Why are some insurance companies hesitant to insure your hearing aids?
Does the warranty on my hearing aids cover the loss or damage of them too?
Is there any feature on hearing aids to reduce the chance of them being lost?
How to prevent my hearing aids from being eaten or chewed on by my pet?
Can I claim lost hearing aids on my home insurance?
Usually, unless your home insurance specifically excludes medical equipment, your hearing aid should have coverage under the personal property section of your home insurance. As long as the cost of a new hearing aid exceeds your deductible, you should be able to submit a claim to replace it.
Are my hearing aids covered by insurance?
Some insurance providers do cover hearing aids under household or contents insurance. They can provide you with an insurance policy for your hearing aids against loss or damage caused by theft, fire and other circumstances, e.g. chewed on by your pet. Some providers offer cover for your hearing aids if you take them with you. Having said that, you may need to add personal possessions policy cover to your policy, which will cover you against accidental loss and damage to your hearing aids. Instead of guessing, the best is to check your existing insurance coverage by asking your insurer to see what is covered by your policy, the minimum deductibles and other details about the insurance coverage on your hearing aids.
Some hearing aid providers offer insurance coverage, so it’s worth speaking to your hearing care professional for more information.
What other options are there to purchase an insurance policy for my hearing aids?
There are several specialised insurance companies for niche sectors such as health and hearing aids. One of them that we have had a positive experience with our patients is Assetsure. Visit Assetsure for an online, no-obligation quote for insuring your hearing aids.
What to consider when buying an insurance policy for my hearing aids?
If you are looking for a new insurer for your hearing aids, it’s a good idea to check:
Whether hearing aids are covered as ‘extras’
How much money will you get back should you lose your hearing aids? Some insurers have a set amount that they will pay for hearing aids, and some others may provide a 'like' level of hearing aids instead of reimbursing the full value of them
How long will you have to wait to be reimbursed or receive replacement hearing aids?
Will the payment be a one-off or multiple payments? Some insurance providers will only offer one payment across the entire life of the policy, while others will cover the replacement of your hearing aids once every three, four or five years
How will a claim against your hearing aids affect your no-claims discount on your insurance policy?
What is the minimum deductible in case a claim needs to be raised?
Do they offer a better rate for your policy if your hearing aid is detectable (most of the hearing aids we provide can be detectable on the screen of your smartphone if/when are lost)
Before you sign with a new insurance provider, make sure you know what coverage is provided for your hearing aids and what happens if you make a claim.
Why some insurance companies are hesitant to insure your hearing aids?
While hearing aids can transform your life and keep you connected with the world around you, insurance providers don’t necessarily view them in the same way. For many insurers, they are considered to be too high a risk to insure. Insurance companies make their money from people paying for insurance policies, but never actually making a claim. Some insurance companies may put hearing aids in a high-risk category because, by experience, they find a high rate of loss due to dementia, memory loss, or other light or severe mental health issues that could impair the wearer of maintaining and keep hearing aids safe and secure.
Does the warranty on my hearing aids cover the loss or damage of them too?
Often, the warranty and aftercare provided by your hearing care provider do not cover accidental damage or loss of the hearing aids. Some hearing aid providers offer hearing aid insurance as part of their warranty and aftercare. This addition usually comes as an extra fee, either added upfront to your hearing aid price or through a monthly payment. You need to check with the supplier of your hearing aids to see if loss and accidental damage are included in their warranty and aftercare or not.
Is there any feature on hearing aids to reduce the chance of them being lost?
The good news is that, yes, most of the premium hearing aids have a feature on their hearing aid app that helps you locate them within reasonable precision if you happen to lose them accidentally. RIC hearing aids offered by Starkey, Oticon, Resound, Signia and Widex recently are all made for iPhone (MFI). In their associated mobile app, there is a feature that allows you to locate them on a map. Say you come back home and you realise that you have lost one or both hearing aids outside. On such an occasion, do not panic; all you need to do is open the hearing aid app on your smartphone and tap on "Find my Hearing Aid". The app will open a map locating your hearing aids exactly where they are. Another piece of good news is that if your hearing aids lost their power in the meantime, the app still shows their location just before they lost their power, smart, isn't it?
This feature is one of the items that our audiologists discuss with the patients as part of the fitting session of their premium hearing aids.
Another point is that this feature is not available in hearing aids that do not have Bluetooth functionality, e.g. most of the CIC and IIC hearing aids. Also, this feature is not available on all Android devices.
How to prevent my hearing aids from being eaten or chewed on by my pet?
Besides losing your hearing aids outside your living space, e.g. while shopping or walking on the high street, pets and domestic animals are other main sources of accidental loss or damage to your hearing aids. Here are some tips to avoid losing your hearing aids or them being damaged by your pets:
Keep them safe - All the premium hearing aids are supplied with a small box that you can use when going to a hairdresser's or swimming pool. You can use the same little container as a safe place to keep your hearing aids when not wearing them.
Charging units with lid - All hearing aid suppliers provide different models of charger units. If you have pets at home, make sure to pick the charger unit that has a lid. Please see this link for hearing aid accessories, where you can purchase an extra charger unit with a lid.
Can I order a single-sided custom-made hearing aid that I lost?
Yes, of course. If you lost one side of your RIC, BTE or custom-made hearing aid, you can order only the piece that you lost. You do not need to order both sides. Please see this article on how to order a replacement for a lost custom-made invisible hearing aid.
Are you in the market to buy a pair of premium hearing aids at the lowest price? Check this article to learn what to consider when you buy a pair of new hearing aids.
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