Colorado: Getting a hearing test & buying hearing aids

The Colorado mountains can be home to some significant altitude changes. And altitude can cause some pretty big issues with your ears, so you’ll want to make sure that you’re taken care of, audiologically speaking.

How many test centers are in Colorado?

Source: audiology.org

Colorado is home to around 203 audiologists, which is a slightly less than average amount when looking at their population of 5.6 million. Still, they’re distributed across a high number of cities and towns, meaning that you’ll be able to make your way to an audiologist without too much hassle.

Cities with the best hearing healthcare

Source: https://www.usahearingcenters.com/search-hearing-loss-by-city.html
Source: http://worldpopulationreview.com/states/colorado-population/cities/

Colorado varies widely from city to city when it comes to how many audiologists they have on hand. The larger cities are fine, but the smaller towns could do with a couple more clinics.

What government support do I have?

The only government service that offers financial relief in Colorado is the ACA. This covers hearing aids for anyone under the age of 18 – a big plus for anyone looking to support their children’s hearing.

More detail from: https://codes.findlaw.com/co/title-10-insurance/co-rev-st-sect-10-16-104.html – section (19b i, ii, iii)

Is there a hearing aid trial period?

Colorado requires that hearing aid providers include a 30 day refund period in their contracts. If you're unhappy with your hearing aid during this time you can request a refund to be issued. Any extension to this 30 day period must be in writing and submitted to the client.

What support do my children have?

All children are covered from ages 0 to 21 through national Medicaid coverage. This is specifically under the child health component, The Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) Program. This covers audiological assessment, hearing aid evaluation and hearing aids when medically required.

What doctoral programs are available in Colorado?

If you’re looking to study audiology in Colorado, you have two institutions offering doctorates. These are:

• The University of Northern Colorado
• The University of Colorado at Boulder

Support for military veterans

Hearing healthcare support for veterans is nationwide, with 170 centers nationwide and two in Colorado you’ll be able to find coverage.

Our guide on VA hearing aids goes into more detail about the support you have available.

How can I get my hearing tested?

A hearing test is the first step towards better hearing health, and you can get tested for free in your local area by filling in this form. You'll see a qualified hearing consultant who will run a series of tests to determine if you have any hearing loss, and if you do, show you the best options moving forward.

Read our guide on what to expect from a hearing test to find out more details, know what to bring with you and how long a hearing test might take.

Overall

With some child-friendly legislation and an average amount of audiologists dotted around the state, you could do worse than Colorado when it comes to audiology. There’s room to improve, but overall they’re doing alright.