Canadian here as well. I have a 35 dB / 70 dB loss in each ear respectively.
It is a pretty sweet deal if you can afford it. They do just ship you already-programmed replacements if you've lost one. No questions asked. Free adjustments. Very comprehensive. It's pleasant and stress-free while you're covered by one of those packages.
But it's if you can afford it. When you can't afford the all-exclusive package there's really not much else. I spent about half of my childhood, teens and 20s without hearing aids due to cost. Held back my education at all levels. Even when I went to university, while I was eligible for provincial funding for hearing aids at a student, I was still expected to pay the cost up-front first. Independent adult students don't usually have $5000 cash lying around. I missed most of my first year.
Their reasoning is that you should stop buying luxury superyachts each year and focus on your health. Its about priorities!
On a related note, dentistry is another one that is usually not covered at all. Why even basic dental isn't covered by government healthcare as a prevention initiative still surprises me. Bad teeth can kill you / give you cancer / wreck chaos and damage organs in general etc and its all often detectable at early stages.
It is a pretty sweet deal if you can afford it. They do just ship you already-programmed replacements if you've lost one. No questions asked. Free adjustments. Very comprehensive. It's pleasant and stress-free while you're covered by one of those packages.
But it's if you can afford it. When you can't afford the all-exclusive package there's really not much else. I spent about half of my childhood, teens and 20s without hearing aids due to cost. Held back my education at all levels. Even when I went to university, while I was eligible for provincial funding for hearing aids at a student, I was still expected to pay the cost up-front first. Independent adult students don't usually have $5000 cash lying around. I missed most of my first year.