VA Hearing Aid Process

I hope you are a member on MyHealth.va.gov (?). If not go to that website and join. Once it has been established, all of your meds, appointments, etc., are listed. That includes your medical records, and all communications with the VA.
You will find your Audi is in the secure email list, make your request again, in writing.
Are you dealing with a VA Hospital Facility, or an Outpatient Clinic?

I always email my audiologist about a week or more before my appointments with my needs, changes, supplies, and what is working for me. I order all my medications online, and like being able to see my lab results and doctors notes. I use the site journal my weight, BP and even diet information.

Thanks for the replies.

I have Phonak M90s now, from a local audiologist, that will be three years old next month. I’m interested to see what the local clinic offers and how the process works.

This will be my first VA visit. The appointment I made was scheduled for about a month out, but it seems once I get past the initial appointment it’s easier to get back in the office.

@wrharringjr said:

I hope you are a member on MyHealth.va.gov (?). If not go to that website and join. Once it has been established, all of your meds, appointments, etc., are listed. That includes your medical records, and all communications with the VA.
You will find your Audi is in the secure email list, make your request again, in writing.
Are you dealing with a VA Hospital Facility, or an Outpatient Clinic?

I am a member, however I have just started the process with the VA. My hearing evaluation is next week and I meet next month with a primary care doc.

I’m going to an Outpatient Clinic, two miles from my house, it’s a satellite office of the VA Facility in Augusta, GA.

Great, I have documented a bit here how I handled the Hearing issue. Basically, I got Marvels a few months before the Paradise was released. (The VA test/rejection period is 6 months), back then it was 3 months…I missed it by a few weeks. Anyway, last year I hit my three years for the Marvels, got retested, and we ordered the Paradise. Normally, I would have got the Paradise in the first week of October, but my Audi got sick, so it was delayed a few weeks. Go em, a little loud, saw her again after Xmas, she reduced the volume, and reminded me of the 6 months rejection period, I thought about it, and rejected the Paradise in favor of the Lumity after Xmas.
I picked up the Lumity P90’s this past Thursday, awesome.
The Lumity series has Autosense 5.0, this is a Major change in the operating system, designed to work better in high noise environment. PhonaK has a half dozen chargers, currently I have the Phonak Charger Ease (came with Lumity), and I have the Phonak Charge and Care (it has a bilt in dryer, and UV sanitizers for the receivers/domes. Good luck!

I wanted to add a comment to all my jabber, and it relates to eligibility. In 2018/19 the VA announced that any individual who served in the US Military, (other then dishonerable, BCD, etc) were eligible for Hearing Aids. There was no time limit, or type of job set. In general, service in the US Military is loud, and the services made no attempt at noise reduction, for providing adequate ear protection. This was triggered by the scandal prior to 2018 regarding Dod provided ear protection to be worthless.

@cvkemp said:

So true, I wish more veterans could and do volunteer work at the clinics and hospitals, I go to a community VA clinic and also volunteer in the audiology department 6 times a month, and I wish I had the time to be there more.

What are your volunteer duties? I wonder if all the clinics need volunteers:?

I had my first visit to the VA, for anything, today. I have to say I left happy and feeling good about the process.

I didn’t realize there were two audiologists at my local clinic, and I saw the one I was unaware of. She was pleasant and friendly. More importantly she was knowledgeable and competent.

Yesterday afternoon I managed to pull the receiver wire from my right aid and since the aids were due to go back to Phonak for an end of warranty checkup next month I made an appointment for Tuesday with my current audiologist to return the aids earlier and have the receiver replaced. The molds I have are hard shell, so a return to Phonak is necessary to replace the receiver. The VA registered the aids and is sending the aids back to Phonak saving me two 140-mile round trips to my old audiologist for the warranty repair. I moved last year, so now it’s a trip to the old office.

The VA clinic I visited offers GN ReSound, Phonak, Starkey, Widex, Oticon, and Siemens devices.

The audiologist I saw was more familiar with Phonak, so that’s what I ordered.

I left today with an order for Phonak Lumity L90s, custom molds (I’m going back to soft shell to avoid returning the aids to Phonak for a receiver replacement) and a Roger On. I should have everything in a month.

I’m amazed at how simple, easy, and painless the process and ordering was.

Sounds like you had a good experience, every visit I have had with my VA audi has been a good experience. I have the same H/A’s you are getting. Over the past 4 years I have accumulated 4 chargers. My marvels came with the small travel charger, and the larger one (can take a battery)(I bought the battery on Amazon). The Lumity L90’s came with the small charger with magnets in it…pretty cool. Prior to receiving the Lumity I asked my Audi if she could get me the Charge and Care version (internal dryer fan, and UV sanitizers). I have the standard receivers with domes (small/medium vented), I bought on Ebay 4 extra receivers, two red/green. During my 3 years with the Marvels, I had the receivers go bad on each one.
You might want to ask her for the TV connector too.
Have Fun

I have had a receiver on each go bad in the past. I really dislike since the receiver is in a hard shell it has to go back to Phonak for repair.

I like the concept of the Charge and Go battery case with the internal battery that’s good for three full charges, but that doesn’t appear to work for the Lumity.

The Roger On comes with a docking station and can be connected and used like a TV connector.

I think that is the case. Having a built-in battery would be a plus.

Phonak did at one point have a battery pack that attached to the charger, but I’m not sure if it’s offered any longer.

Amazon has it. I think you can just query “phonak battery”.

This is surprising to me. My husband served on a naval aircraft carrier for most of this four years active duty 78 to 82. His role was administrative but his office was below deck next to the arresting gear - loud. He has mild/moderate hearing loss. He was evaluated by a VA AuD and received a letter of denial of any service related hearing loss and therefore no HAs. His advocate filed an appeal after I suggested it. He is not after payments, just the HAs. Any thoughts?

I hope he gets the aids. I was in the Navy 1968-1977. I spent time on the flight line of a Navy Air Training Center and also as a member of a special Security Agency I traveled the world in the cargo bay of Air Force C141 cargo jets. I started getting my aids from the VA in 2005 and was rated O% disabled, then in 2014 I was rated at 20% disabled, and this past November 50% disabled. I have severe hearing loss and my word recognition is getting worse. My VA doctor has even noted in my records that it is his opinion than my Blood Pressure issues are related to my hearing loss.