Hearing aid Sales is a whore’s business

[dennis in se pa]

Sort of like Medicare advantage plans. So much BS. So literal actual useful info. It seems like they want to confuse you more than help you. My Medicare provider covers hearing aids this year so I thought I would get two more. What a bunch of bull****. I have been wearing hearing aids for 10 years, and all these people want to do is screw with you. Anyone else have fun with hearing aids?

[jyl]

I have been buying my dad Siemens Signia hearing aids on Amazon. I'm sure they are not as good as the best professionally fitted devices, but they work well enough, are cheap, and he loses them yearly anyway.

[dennis in se pa]

If these were not provided free through my insurance I would get them elsewhere. Poor customer service = no repeat business. And customer service reps that are poorly trained seems to be the new normal. Wait until China takes over, wait, it seems like they already did! Welcome to the NWO.

[MBAtarga]

Costco

[dtxscott]

Look into hearables. Kinda like hearing aids but don't have FDA oversight.
Self-configuring through your phone and you are set.

If you knew the margins in hearing aids you would understand the confusing tactics. They don't want you to ask questions that may reveal they are making stoooopid money on these things.

[chrismorse]

Originally Posted by MBAtarga

Costco

So, I'm waiting. I briefly saw posted prices of 1200-3500, Is that right?

Having been in construction, liking rock and roll, (loud) and being married thrice, my ears have taken a beating - bad tinnitis, low and high range loss - and it is becoming increasingly difficult to follow conversation, so as much as i resist dealing with the hasel of mechanical aids, i want to be able to engage in conversations without constantly asking "WHAT???" ad nauseum.

grumble, piss and moan

[bmcuscgr94]

Originally Posted by chrismorse

So, I'm waiting. I briefly saw posted prices of 1200-3500, Is that right?

Having been in construction, liking rock and roll, (loud) and being married thrice, my ears have taken a beating - bad tinnitis, low and high range loss - and it is becoming increasingly difficult to follow conversation, so as much as i resist dealing with the hasel of mechanical aids, i want to be able to engage in conversations without constantly asking "WHAT???" ad nauseum.

grumble, piss and moan

My COSTCO Kirkland hearings aids were $1,500 three years ago. I lost one, they replaced it for free and one just started having static, they're replacing it for free.

[JackDidley]

Ive been buying on line for years. Before that mail order. Average maybe $400 for one. Tried a brick and mortar store and all that did was cost double. Using them for near 50 years now.

[MBAtarga]

My Costco hearing aid (right ear only) was about $1200 (maybe $1299?) and had the bluetooth capability to set up various modes via the phone app. It's an over the ear style - not a smaller one that sets within the ear. Hearing test and checkups/etc are all free. 6 months no questions asked money back guarantee and 2 years warranty.

[jyl]

Might drop $150 for a lower-end Signia aid on Amazon and try it out while you're waiting.

[Indescikov]

Never do business with outfits like Miracle Ear or Avada.
Best work through an Ear, Nose and Throat Practice that also sells earing aids.
They can provide medical services like ear canal cleaning and medical exams. Additionally they sell multiple manufacturers devices, not just their "own" proprietary brand name. I believe their audiologists have access to superior training since they are affiliated with a medical practice.
I've had hearing devices for many years. They are a bandaid at best. Protect your hearing, keep what you have even if it is compromised. Use hearing protection.

[dennis in se pa]

This is thru aetna medicare. Among my benefits are 2 hearing aids PER YEAR! I already have a set of serviceable aids, but why not get 2 more for free? Audiologist (does that even require a GED?) says these sell for $5000 a pair, my allowance is $2500 a year but I get them for free. Audiologist also said they are good for at least 6 years, he must not know about the 2 per year allowance. Aetna works thru Nations Hearing, which must have some sort of scam set up w medicare. It is a good idea if you ever need hearing aids to have a backup pair because things happen. I already have 1 backup pair, now I will have 2, and a new set of Beltones. FWIW MDHearing's devices work fine for me at $500 a pair if you have to pay for them. Also FWIW my part B payment is of course $150, but I pay $0 per month to Aetna. The longer I am in the medicare program, the more potential for scams I see. Just like on the TV!

[vash]

i was crestfallen and thought i was losing my hearing. so i bit the bullet and went to a doctor. she ran me thru all the hearing stuff and exclaimed, "your not that bad off!" she told me what range i was weak in, ironically i didnt listen to her. she had me at her first sentence.

i quickly scheduled a hearing protection fitting and ordered customs, i could wear all day. they dont protect as well as the cheap foam ones, but i dont fiddle with them at all. in and out easy. construction is crazy loud.

[hughc]

I recently caught up with an old friend who started telling me about his new hearing aid. He couldn't get over how satisfied he was it. Best thing he ever bought. Never realized hearing aids had gotten so good. I was interested and asked him what kind it was.

He looked at his watch and said 3 o'clock.

[KFC911]

^^^^ LOL .... nominated for post of the year !

You funny....

[masraum]

Originally Posted by vash

i was crestfallen and thought i was losing my hearing. so i bit the bullet and went to a doctor. she ran me thru all the hearing stuff and exclaimed, "your not that bad off!" she told me what range i was weak in, ironically i didnt listen to her. she had me at her first sentence.

i quickly scheduled a hearing protection fitting and ordered customs, i could wear all day. they dont protect as well as the cheap foam ones, but i dont fiddle with them at all. in and out easy. construction is crazy loud.

I got something similar to this for going to the range.



They work great and are much better than the in the ear stuff. I started using them for when I used power tools as well.

[Arizona_928]

You should see how much the VA wastes on hearing aides.

Oh you lost your third set. Here's another 8 thousand dollar pair.

[mattdavis11]

Seeing what is going on in the world is bad enough, I'd rather not hear about it.

[dennis in se pa]

Update……ended up w Beltones courtesy of my ins co. Supposedly a $5000 pair, but ins co only allows $1250 per ear per year. Go figure. Clearer, louder, no feedback. So I am happy w them. I am keeping my MD Hearing aids for just in case I lose one

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by dennis in se pa

. Anyone else have fun with hearing aids?

My dad, rest in peace, spent in the neighborhood of $5k for hearing aids that were crap. He could never get them adjusted correctly and spent the last few years of his life with very poor hearing.

Oddly though when we thought he was out of earshot and thought we could say something without his hearing... he would miraculously hear it and interject.

Sort of like this hearing aid commercial: