In Belgium, approximately 200,000 people wear hearing aids. But do you know what its price is made of? The Christian mutuality denounces a total lack of transparency without obvious reasons in relation to the part “supported” by the mutual. Patients would pay between 1,300 and 3,000 euros extra.
For more than four years, Danielle and her husband have been wearing a hearing aid, and they go to a center 3 to 4 times a year. “My husband is 87, I’m 85, it’s quite logical that the hearing goes down“, she explains.
Internationally, more than 80% of people over 70 suffer from hearing loss. In Belgium, in 10 years, the number of devices sold has doubled: each time they are reimbursed by health insurance.
Supplements that keep increasing
“They are accessible for everyone depending on the requirements of the customers. Devices should be tested first before purchasing.“, recalls Marie-Louise Lafleur, audiologist. But part of the cost remains borne by the patients: these supplements vary between 1,300 and 3,000 euros. An amount which has more than doubled in 10 years, and the patient does not always have it. awareness.
“He doesn’t know if it pays for the device itself or if it pays for the cost of the audience. So our first observation is that it affects more than 200,000 people, and it’s not very accessible, it can change often”, explains Elise Deroitte, director of the Studies Department of Mutualité Chrétienne.
According to a study, for 85% of devices, Belgians pay more than their European neighbors. High prices that can delay the purchase of a hearing aid. Differences may also exist between provinces: in Antwerp, a patient pays an average of 2,500 euros. In Liège, it is around 1,400 euros.