Q: Does OHIP cover the cost of hearing aids?

A: The Ontario Health Insurance Plan does not cover the cost of hearing aids. However, another department within the Ministry of Health, the Assistive Devices Program (ADP) does help with the funding towards hearing aids, and other medical devices. The grant from ADP is for every resident of Ontario with a valid health card who requires hearing aids or an FM system.The audiologist will have the necessary paperwork to initiate this process.
The amount you pay for the hearing aids is the total owing, less the government grant.The government pays the grant directly to the clinic.

Q: Will I have to pay for my hearing aid up front?

A: Yes. The day you receive your hearing aids we expect to be paid for them.In the past we had let people take their hearing aids home, and pay us when they received reimbursement from their insurance companies. Unfortunately, we have not always collected in these scenarios which means you now have to pay the total on the day you get the hearing aids (less the ADP grant if applicable). We have several methods of payment available – cash, cheque, interact/debit, Visa and Mastercard. 

Q: I have a policy with my employer (eg: Ford/Dofasco/school board), what does my policy pay?

A: There are so many policies from so many different insurance companies there is no way we can know each policy.  As an example, what one employee is covered for through the company insurance plan doesn't mean all employees are covered by the same plan. Often the department, or time they began employment can affect the policy they are covered in.  We recommend you check your coverage prior to proceeding with the purchase of hearing aids, so you know exactly what to expect.

Q: How long does a hearing aid last?  Will it last me for the rest of my life?

A: No. The average life span of a hearing aid is three to five years. Typically the degree of hearing loss changes in that time and the hearing aid itself often wears out within that time.  The ear changes shape, as does the rest of our body, with time. When the ear changes shape, the fit of the hearing aid can be affected resulting in a poor fit or chronic whistle/feedback occurs.

Q: How long does a hearing aid battery last?  My watch battery lasts about two years—can I expect the same from the hearing aid battery?

A: No. The size of the hearing aid battery, the power requirements of the hearing aid, how long the hearing aid is worn, and the environment it is worn in will determine how long the battery will last.  Inside the hearing aid is a micro-processor, which samples the environmental sounds and adjusts the hearing aid accordingly. A watch is basically doing one function, keeping time.  The hearing aid is doing several functions simultaneously.  It is providing power, amplification, sampling, adjusting, feedback canceling, and compressing sounds.  Often it is doing this several times per second.  For this reason, hearing aid batteries typically only last a few days up to three weeks. The larger the battery the longer it lasts.