Why Patients Should Follow Up for Annual Visits
When patients are fit with hearing aids, they are only beginning their hearing journey! Hearing healthcare is a lifelong journey in making sure patients stay up to date with annual hearing tests as well as updating their prescription. Hearing aids are different from glasses in that if your vision worsens you get new glasses or new lenses. If your hearing worsens you can keep your same hearing aids for several years and we just update the prescription by reprogramming the hearing aids.
Studies show that when patients wear appropriately programmed and fitted hearing aids their hearing loss is less likely to decline as rapidly as someone who does not wear appropriately fitted hearing aids or someone who does not wear hearing aids at all. Therefore, it is important to stay on top of possible changes in your hearing and reprogram the hearing aids accordingly.
Everything requires maintenance as well. At your annual visit we will not only reprogram the hearing aids but we will also thoroughly clean and check the hearing aids as well as run them through a drying chamber to pull out moisture.
Unfortunately, insurance coverage is such that they will only typically pay for a hearing test or exam but not the updating of the prescription. Some patients may have insurance coverage for hearing aid devices but not for ongoing maintenance of the hearing aids. When we do the annual visit, patients do pay out of pocket for the visit. The updates in the hearing prescription should be worth every penny to keep you hearing your best for many years to come!
We hope this helps clarify why it is important to follow up with your audiologist annually.
Dr. Tanya McCormack and Dr. Allison Love