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HEAR Now Offers Free Hearing Aids to Low Income Folks Editor: Here's a wonderful program for low-income people who need hearing aids. It's also a great place to donate your old aids, because the proceeds from the sale of the refurbished aids support this program!
Thanks to NVRC News!
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This information was kindly provided by Todd Wood, of Region II Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.
HEAR Now is a private, non-profit organization that provides hearing aids for adults and children who are legal residents of the United States, who are deaf or hard of hearing and who have limited income.
HEAR Now is a provider of last resort. All other options for service must be used before benefit can be approved. Services are distributed through a nationwide network of hearing professionals. Providers are asked to waive fitting and follow-up fees for the first year of warranty coverage. Clients pay for their hearing evaluations plus a non-refundable HEAR Now processing fee of $39 per aid. The organization provided more than 7,800 hearing aids to people in need last year.
Eligibility requirements: Applicants must be legal residents of the United States and must meet financial criteria. They must be low-income people who are considered to be at 125% of poverty level. HEAR Now also requires an asset assessment.
HEAR Now also collects old hearing aids for recycling. Donated aids should be packaged and mailed. Donations are tax deductible and will be acknowledged. Used hearing aids are returned to manufacturers for refurbishing and are then sold by the manufacturers as refurbished aids. The proceeds from these sales are donated back to the HEAR Now program. People that qualify to receive hearing aids receive NEW aides and NOT the refurbished ones.
Hours of operation are 9-4 (central time), Monday through Friday. Call for applications. Area Served: United States and Territories.
The line that should be used by potential applicants is 1-800-648-4327. Publishing the direct line makes it more difficult to respond to those who really need to talk to someone on the HEAR Now staff.
The Mailing Address is:
HEAR Now Program 6700 Washington Ave S Eden Prairie, MN 55344
Contact: Joanita Stelter, HEAR NOW Program Coordinator e-mail address: nonprofit@starkey.com
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