Retirement is something most people look forward to their whole lives, but age-related hearing loss can prevent you from fully enjoying your golden years. The Hearing Loss Association of America estimates that one in three adults over 65 and half of those over 75 have a hearing impairment.
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has developed the AARP Hearing Care Program to improve the lives of millions of AARP members with hearing loss. In this article, we will talk about the program’s features, AARP membership, benefits, and eligibility criteria.
What is the Hearing Care Program?
AARP has partnered with HearUSA Hearing Care Network to offer a comprehensive program for senior hearing aids. The program features hearing screenings, educational resources, and discounts.
By leveraging the bulk buying power of AARP’s millions of members, the hearing care program provided by HearUSA Hearing Care Network offers affordable access to hearing health products and the latest hearing aid technology, including high-tech programmable digital hearing aids at a lower cost.
A subsidiary called AARP Services, Inc. manages provider relationships and performs quality control oversight.
Benefits of the AARP Hearing Program
AARP members can access benefits at participating clinics in the HearUSA Hearing Care Network. These are exclusively for members with hearing loss. Here are some of the benefits of the AARP program.
- 20% off the retail price of hearing aids
- Free hearing loss check-up
- Free cleaning
- Free demonstration of the latest hearing aid technology
- 90-day trial period
- Free follow up care for one year
- Three-year manufacturer warranty
- Free three-year supply of batteries
- 15% discount on hearing healthcare products like hearing aid accessories and batteries
Buy Hearing Aids from AARP
If you’re an AARP member experiencing hearing loss, you can buy hearing aids at a discount directly from the association’s hearing care website.
They sell all styles of hearing aids, including:
- Behind-the-ear
- In-the-ear
- Receiver-in-canal
- In-the-canal
- Completely-in-the-canal
The website features five major brands of hearing aids:
- Signia
- Rexton
- Phonak
- Sonic
- Oticon
They also sell a variety of hearing health-related products for people experiencing hearing loss, including captioned telephones and wireless TV sound amplifiers.
Curious whether Medicare covers hearing aids? Find out more about it in our guide.
Find a Participating Clinic
You can find participating independent providers here. Please be aware that the program is not active in US territories, such as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
If you live in a state where Kaiser Permanente operates, find out if Kaiser covers hearing aids in our guide!
On the homepage of AARP’s Hearing Care Program website, you’ll see a box near the bottom that says “Find a Provider Near You.” Choose your state and enter your zip code to find a trusted provider in your area. All the clinics have licensed hearing health professionals.
You can take a 5-minute online hearing screening test on the AARP official website to determine whether you have hearing loss or not.
Consult a licensed professional if the result indicates hearing loss.
Becoming an AARP Member
All individuals over 50 are eligible for an AARP membership. It costs $16 per year, but if you sign up for automatic renewal, you only pay $12 annually. You can save more by purchasing a three-year membership for $43 or a five-year plan for $63.
To join, go to the AARP website and fill in the required information. Choose a membership plan and proceed with the payment.
AARP Services and Member Benefits
In addition to the hearing care program, AARP membership benefits include:
- Discounts at restaurants, entertainment facilities, and drug stores
- Low-cost access to health products like medicines, dental insurance, hearing and vision services, etc.
- Flights, cruises, hotels, resorts, and rental cars at low prices
- Financial services like life insurance, auto insurance, and credit cards
- Programs and free webinars for career advancement
- Insurance services like health, life, auto, property, motorcycle, etc.
- Free subscription to AARP publications
Summary
Nearly 50 million Americans have hearing loss, and a substantial number are over 50.
The AARP Hearing Care Program assists members, so they can get the help they need from quality care providers. AARP members have access to free and discounted hearing care services like hearing check-ups, hearing aid purchases, and follow-up care.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the AARP?
The AARP is a nonprofit membership organization that provides services and advocates for retirees and older Americans. This influential organization representing people over the age of 50 lobbies public officials, publishes the AARP Bulletin and offers services to help seniors.
What Does the AARP Do?
The AARP foundation aims to improve the quality of life of individuals aged 50 years and older. In addition to lobbying for better Social Security benefits, Medicare expansion, and other policies, the organization provides services, discounts, resources, and other benefits to improve the well-being of seniors.
Is the AARP an Insurance Company?
AARP is not a medical insurance company. It is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization designed to help retired people (aged 50 and above) improve their quality of life, but it does offer medical insurance plans through United Healthcare.
Why Did AARP Start the Hearing Care Program?
There’s a robust relationship between hearing loss and age, according to the National Institute on Accordingonship between hearing loss and age. As an organization that serves older Americans, the AARP is committed to improving the hearing and overall health care of its membership.
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