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Worker's compensation
benefits for hearing loss are largely undiscovered benefits covering hearing
health care, which is often uninsured. Many health insurance policies and
programs like Medicare do not cover hearing aid purchases but worker's compensation
can. It also pays for the disability of hearing loss just as it does for the
loss of eyesight or other injury. An aging population, advances
in technology and greater sensitivity to hearing loss are bringing more attention
to financing hearing health care. For the most part, those who qualify for
hearing loss benefits under worker's compensation, are retired hearing impaired
workers who live on fixed incomes.
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Hearing
impaired workers must have worked in "noisy employment" in Wisconsin
and may not file their claim for hearing loss until they leave the work noise,
which for most, is when they retire. |
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- Workplace noise contributes
from one half to 2/3 of all hearing loss.
- Worker's compensation
was established to encourage employers to make the workplace safe for employees
and compensate for injury. More employers now provide hearing protection,
but for many aging workers, it comes too late.
- Worker's compensation
pays for the disability of hearing loss just as it does for the loss of
eyesight or other work injury. The Worker's Compensation system is a no-fault
administrative system, which requires no finding of employer fault and no
lawsuit. Wisconsin's system is considered a national model.
- Workplace noise need
not CAUSE the hearing loss. If noise CONTRIBUTED to the hearing loss, the
hearing loss may qualify for worker's compensation.
- Worker's compensation
payment, for hearing loss, is generally tax-free and in most cases has no impact on Social
Security, pension, or health insurance benefits.
- There is no statute
of limitation. It is rarely too late too file for hearing loss whether leaving
noisy employment 5 or 10 years or even 20 years ago. State law caps awards at $56,592 plus money for hearing aid(s) and related expenses. Once a claim is filed, it takes an
average 6 - 8 months to secure payment.
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