Access to care for hearing loss: policies and stakeholders

Although hearing loss is common in old age and associated with a variety of negative outcomes, hearing aids and related services are not covered by Medicare or many other forms of insurance. Out-of-pocket costs are expensive and thus serve as a barrier for many individuals. Efforts at the national level to broaden coverage can confront surprising or unexpected opposition from a variety of groups. This article discusses how an experience as an Atlantic Philanthropies Health and Aging Policy Fellow helped inform how gaining an understanding of the positions held by such stakeholder groups is critical to developing strategies to promote a more effective payment structure that would improve access to hearing care. The implications for nurses desiring to influence policy are also highlighted.