There’s no getting around it: Health care is expensive. Consumers are feeling the squeeze of increased prices for quality care. Thankfully, many employers offer options to help alleviate some of that cost — and in many cases, if those benefits aren’t used before year’s end, they go to waste.

Although health insurance is perhaps the best way to save on the cost of hearing aids, only about 40 percent of regular health insurance plans provide $500 to $3,000 toward the cost of new devices. However, your employer may offer an FSA or HSA (flexible spending account or health spending account), which pulls money from your paycheck pre-tax and sets it aside for future medical expenses. If you take advantage of your employer’s FSA, your hearing care costs will still come out of pocket, but they will be untaxed and, therefore, will take you a little further.

If your benefits aren’t used by the end of the year, they likely won’t roll over to next year’s account. If you’ve already used your FSA funds for this year, consider what your hearing needs will be next year when you decide how much of your paycheck you’d like to reserve.

The holidays are here, which means more conversations with family and loved ones, so we’d like to invite you into our office for a free clean and check of your existing technology. While you’re here, our staff can help you determine how your insurance will affect your hearing costs. We want our patients’ holidays to be filled with the laughter and love that we all seek when the weather gets colder and our hearts get warmer — not the frustration of missing out on those special moments. We invite you to contact us to schedule an appointment with your audiologist to review your individual needs and to help you prepare for your holiday season, as well as the coming year.