Hearing loss affects an estimated 30 million Americans, according to theNational Institute on Health.
Heres how it works.
What Is a Caption Phone?
Photo courtesy of T-Mobile
A caption phone transcribes live phone conversations so it appears in easy-to-read text on a large screen.
Think of it like closed captioning, but for phone calls.
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you’ve got the option to use your existing phone number and phone lines.
Other than that, caption phones work like a regular telephone you could dial and answer calls as usual.
How Is the Caption Phone Free?
Captioned phones are provided for free through a program funded by the FCC called theIntrastate Telecommunications Relay Servicesprogram.
It can be used for local, long distance and international calls.
People who qualify for the program can receive a free caption phone along with free installation.
The phone also includes a warranty and free support assistance.
To qualify, youll need to prove you have hearing loss that requires the use of a caption phone.
The phone is provided at a very low cost or at no cost at all.
Many providers also offer free delivery as well as installation, set up and user training at no charge.
Heres a list of some of the biggest providers.
verify to research each company to see if the service and phone it provides is right for you.
Caption phones average about $75, though more sophisticated models are more expensive.
CapTel, ClearCaptions and CaptionCall all offer their own apps for mobile phone caption services.
Other caption app providers include:
Both InnoCaption and eyeHear are free to download and use.
Other Help for People With Hearing Loss
Hearing loss disproportionately affects older Americans.
Nearly 25% of Americans aged 65 to 74 have disabling hearing loss.
That number jumps to 50% for people 75 and older, according to theNational Institutes of Health.
(Some private Medicare Advantage plans may provide additional hearing benefits, including money for hearing aids.)
For people with mild to moderate hearing loss,over-the-counter hearing aidscan help.
These new devices hit the market in late 2022 and serve as an affordable alternative to expensive hearing devices.
Rachel Christian is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance and a senior writer for The Penny Hoarder.
She focuses on retirement, investing, taxes and life insurance.
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