Hearing aid question

[daytime dave]

I got my prescription from my doctor for hearing aids. Should I go through the audiologist at $5,000 or so or go to Costco or any other choices?

I appreciate all responses.

[JEBar]

I've had mine for about 3 years and even with insurance, they were expensive .... I wasn't aware of Costco back then and am looking forward to seeing responses to help be with the decision as to who I buy my next set from

[Ernie]

A good audiologist makes all the difference when programing your aids. I have had good and fair from Costco. They will give you a good deal but they won't deal with insurance. I pay up front and get reimbursed by my insurance. You have 90 days to try aids out and if you don't like them you can return them for a full refund. They will warranty for 3 years. My current aids cost me $1600 for both.

[cooperhawk]

Well, I get mine from the VA so it isn't quite fair, but the audiologist programs my aids to conform with my hearing loss.
To me that's worth quite a bit. Now my newest aids I can program with my phone to help me conform even more.
I know a lot of folks who use COSTO.

[Ernie]

My aids have blue tooth so they work with my phone. I can do some adjustments with the programs and use my phone as a microphone. Hands free phone and music through my aids. They have come a long way from the annoying pair I was wearing in the early 80s.

[The Happy Kaboomer]

I did what ERNIE did............Audiologist........My ears........My hearing.........I wanted the best.

[5shot]

I got mine the same way as cooperhawk, all they cost was a tour of duty in an artillery unit in Viet Nam 67' 68'. Mine are also adjustable on my cell phone and I understand they would have been $5000+ units. I've heard stories about much lower priced hearing aids working very well. Makes me wonder what the markup is over production costs on these top of the line aids?

[RetiredSeabee]

I have been wearing my ears since 93. Have had five sets since. The last set was $7,000. Insurance helped at about 50%. My current ones came from the VA. Wish I had gone that route 30 years ago. I was looking at over the counter prior to getting these from VA. The devices are basically the same but the difference is support and having them tuned. Getting used to hearing better can be frustrating. Some sounds can be very irritating. That is where an audiologist can help. You describe what bothers you and they try to make the adjustments.
My sister had a pair from an audiologist that she could not get properly tuned from her audiologist. She had a 60 day period to get adjusted to them. She returned them and went to Costco. She bought a pair made by Bose and tuned them with her phone.She had an android and was having some difficulty with them. She got a new Apple IPhone and they work perfectly with it. She is happy with them now and saved quite a bit of money. She got a kit with multiple ear cups and wax blocks that you change on a regular schedule it included a cleaning kit and manual for care.
My old Audiologist has started seeing people who have bought over the counter devices for helping get them adjusted. It is worth asking your audiologist if they can help.
I hope you get your new ears and adjust to them quickly.

[Mags]

Markup is grossly obscene.
Piece parts, circuit board, plastics, electronic circuits, tubes, domes, filters, etc, there is less than $10 in components (not including batteries) for the manufacturer.
Manufacturer cost adders, engineering, functional testing, factory assembly, packaging, shipping. FDA certification costs are horribly high. Roughly $175,000. Plus an annual registration fee of close to $10,000. In the end, somewhere less than $200/device, all toll, with costs amortized across all devices sold.

Do what RetiredSeaBee's sister did.

[Sir Henry]

I got mine the same way as cooperhawk, all they cost was a tour of duty in an artillery unit in Viet Nam 67' 68'. Mine are also adjustable on my cell phone and I understand they would have been $5000+ units. I've heard stories about much lower priced hearing aids working very well. Makes me wonder what the markup is over production costs on these top of the line aids?

I have good hearing for being a redleg. Nothing beats fingers in the ears. I can hear a pin drop yet can’t hear a conversation in a crowded room.

[Mags]

... I can hear a pin drop yet can’t hear a conversation in a crowded room.

Likewise.

[cooperhawk]

I spent five years in college studying Psychology so here's some thoughts on hearing.

I am deaf to the frequencies of women and children's voices. I asked my audiologist if he would put that in writing for my wife, and he did.

I have to wear my aids to watch a British show on TV. I can hear the words but not understand them.
Here's why. In your mind if you hear half a word and you are familiar with the word, your mind will fill in the blanks automatically and you will think you hear the whole word. If the word is in a different accent it doesn't work that way, so then I wear my aids so I can hear and understand the whole word.

My Wife can't understand that without my aids I can hear a mouse fart but not hear what she just said. (Well, some of that is selective hearing. We all know about that don't we fellas.) The reason is we are deaf on certain frequencies but hear quit well on others. A good audiologist can tune your aids so only the deaf frequencies are amplified. That way the ones you are not deaf to are not blasting in your ears.

Let's be honest, sometimes I don't wear them because I don't really want to hear everything. I just like the peace and quiet.

[Ernie]

[Sir Henry]

I spent five years in college studying Psychology so here's some thoughts on hearing.

I am deaf to the frequencies of women and children's voices. I asked my audiologist if he would put that in writing for my wife, and he did.

I have to wear my aids to watch a British show on TV. I can hear the words but not understand them.
Here's why. In your mind if you hear half a word and you are familiar with the word, your mind will fill in the blanks automatically and you will think you hear the whole word. If the word is in a different accent it doesn't work that way, so then I wear my aids so I can hear and understand the whole word.

My Wife can't understand that without my aids I can hear a mouse fart but not hear what she just said. (Well, some of that is selective hearing. We all know about that don't we fellas.) The reason is we are deaf on certain frequencies but hear quit well on others. A good audiologist can tune your aids so only the deaf frequencies are amplified. That way the ones you are not deaf to are not blasting in your ears.

Let's be honest, sometimes I don't wear them because I don't really want to hear everything. I just like the peace and quiet.

Television is the one where I have problems. Then I bought a Bose speaker bar. For some reason I can understand speech on it.

[daytime dave]

I appreciate the responses. I decided to go with the Audiologist for the first time. 0% financing for the 6700.oo top of the line ones. I should get 1700 back from my insurance. Should..........
They arrive in three weeks.

[Ernie]

Ask any and all questions. If you are not comfortable with your aids you will not want to wear them.

[RetiredSeabee]

Good decision Dave, hope getting used to them goes well. I recently had to go about a month without mine. They had to go in for repair but were replaced instead. I don’t have a back up pair. So I really missed them. It took a few visits to the Audiologist to get them tweaked again.
As Ernie said ask questions and don't be shy to tell them what you think. If anything sounds weird or is annoying let them know.

[Ernie]

Good decision Dave, hope getting used to them goes well. I recently had to go about a month without mine. They had to go in for repair but were replaced instead. I don’t have a back up pair. So I really missed them. It took a few visits to the Audiologist to get them tweaked again.
As Ernie said ask questions and don't be shy to tell them what you think. If anything sounds weird or is annoying let them know.

[Sir Henry]

Don’t forget to wear them Dave. I know several people here that have them and when they wear them they hear fine. The problem is they don’t like wearing them and often go out without them. Then other always wear them and you don’t even notice them because they hear everything 100% of the time.

[daytime dave]

I will wear them Gene. My mother needed them and never got them. I vowed I would not do the same.
I won't dye my hair as it greys and I don't care if I need reading glasses or hearing aids. I am not a vain person.
I had an experience at work today that let me know I still have what it takes to get it done, so hearing aids will only help me, not hurt me. I do appreciate the sound advice too.