Cheap Hearing

I hear the same advertising you do and am just as confused and curious as you might be. Can you really buy hearing aids for under $500 dollars each with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in without additional cost?  There always has been a lot of unknown when it comes to hearing aid purchase but it seems like we are becoming more confused as opposed to more informed. I blame advertising for this confusion. While we are able to gather great volumes of information in today's society, it may be that good information is getting harder to uncover. The astute observer will understand that the intent of advertising is to bring people into your place of business so as to make more money. As a consumer I can attest to becoming more and more cynical when it comes to what appears to be too good to be true. We see the slick late night infomercials that seem too good to be true and often are, we have the telemarketers calling our homes at the most inconvenient times trying to sell us something we don't want.  Is it any wonder that we do not trust what we hear. Advertising can  bring out  distrust in the consumer.  No one wants to be taken advantage of in the market place and so the tactic of advertising has changed over the years to  present the special offer in probable terms.The "deal" has become a major marketing tool.

When it comes to better hearing there can be a great deal of confusion for the consumer. In recent years the locally owned clinic has given way in large part to the chains that are corporately owned and run. The recent trend is for hearing aid companies to be the corporate owners of these stores and clinics. The idea is that this allows them a direct connection to the consumer for their products. Companies that in some cases have fallen out of favour with the Audiologists have decided to force the issue by owning the companies that bring the product to the consumer. It is with this structure that  the "amazing deal" has come to be. Hearing aids started off discounted, warranties were increased, batteries and services were offered at no cost with purchase. The consumer however is now a much more educated one and so "the deal" had to get even better. Now we have hearing aids advertised under $500.00 or recently a company has come out that offers them under $200.00 .  As an Audiologist even I have to say wow! Is that really possible?

The reality is that Audiologists do have access to every product on the market and we each have to understand what they do and how they meet the needs of our patient. Just like a Physician has to choose the most effective prescription for what ails you the Audiologist must choose what is best for the patient. When it comes to hearing aids the reality of cost should be considered by the prescriber. Typically every product line will have a basic version of the product, mid range versions of the product and then the best possible version of this product as well. There is a certain level of government regulation of hearing aids relative to cost given that there is a government granting system for hearing aids that offers $500.00 per ear in grant money towards the cost of hearing aids  for the  eligible patient. A key point to keep in mind is that if you use the government grant to purchase a sub- par (Cheap) hearing aid you will not be eligible for the grant again for five years and will be stuck with that technology.  Every hearing aid is available to every Audiologist and the factory costs will be standardized so it is not so much the cost of the product that you might shop for but the additional costs that may not be advertised that you must be discerning about.

So how does one purchase a hearing aid for $200.00 or $500.00? The reality is that this is not really a possibility. You might walk in the door expecting this to be the cost per ear and yet leave having spent considerably more. How does this happen? The cost of the hearing aid may be advertised but the dispensing fees may not, or the extended warranties, or the service plans , or the contractual obligation to purchase your next set of hearing aids in a given time frame from the same clinic. The patient ends up with their heads spinning and leave having spent far more that they intended.

The phrase you get what you pay for is often applicable in these cases. So here is what you should ask and look for when considering purchase of a hearing aid.  Once you have come to understand that you do need a hearing aid and have heard from the Audiologist what product they suggest and why, here is what you need.

1) An itemized quote for the product prescribed with a break down and separation of factory cost and other fees. There should be a dispensing fee and in some cases other fees.

2) a clear explanation of why this hearing aid has been chosen for you and what your other choices may be.

3) Upon purchase you must be given a minimum 30 day trial period by virtue of documentation. Some Clinics offer longer trial periods. You need to ask if there will be a return fee if you are not happy or satisfied with your hearing aid.

5) It would be appropriate to ask if the Clinic would reassess your hearing each year and readjust the programming on the hearing aid to accommodate any changes that might occur.

The purchase of a hearing aid is only a small step on the journey to better hearing, it is a decision that one needs to be informed about and comfortable with. It is the prerogative of the consumer to shop with a cynical eye , to be discerning, and to make well informed decisions. If you have any questions regarding this topic or other topics that I have written about please feel free to contact me at  info@earcompany.ca 

Sanjeev Sukumaran Au.D.

Audiologist