Tongue-in-cheek, maybe they're like banjos ..... i.e. whatever the hearing-aid equivalent to "... the other half just play out of tune"  is.

Having said that, I'll be going for some assessment-or-other in a few weeks ... hope we both "get 'er done."

There are good and bad just like any other business. The hearing aid business is a joke IMO, and the OTC hearing aid business is changing things.
You can’t tell me hearing aids should and do cost 4-6 thousand dollars. WHY?
Hearing aids are one of the few technologies that have not come down in price. There are only really 3 major manufacturers of hearing aids. Are they really that much better than some of the better OTC aids? Is their technology that far superior? It’s sad, because there are so many people that need them and can’t afford them !!!
Slammer!!!

The "too good to be true" advertising for OTC gives me pause.  IMNSHumbleO, toning down the hype a bit wouldn't change the $$ at risk (?), but still .......... ???

>>She adjusted my hearing aids and now they are worse than before.. very tinny and raspy.<<

You need to go back to her and let her know about this or find a better audiologists if yours doesn't want to help.

I wear hearing aids and yes, I admit that they are expensive and probably cost more than they should. My Phonak's were about 4K three years ago and they are still doing their job well. I also have a top-notch audiologist who will do anything needed to make sure my aids are working properly and that I am happy with their performance and her service. I first went to her back in 2011 and am on my second pair of aids. My first pair were Resounds and the right one of those still works and I use it to do my morning exercise routine in. While I do wish they were less expensive, I am a firm believer in the old adage, 'you get what you pay for,' when it comes to hearing aids. I don't for one minute believe the $99 OTCs can do what my Phonak's can do. To add to it, the app that is on my phone and paired with my aids allows me to make adjustments and design custom programs that help me enjoy my banjo playing while wearing the aids. I know that most topflight aids have these same features. I really had a severe hearing loss when I started wearing them and just the quality-of-life issue that comes with a hearing loss make some difference when it comes to answering the question, 'are hearing aids overpriced?' Yes, they are, but so are a lot of other things that aren't nearly as important as one's hearing. Can you spell $1500 smart phone?

Bobby

I use $70 wireless headphones for the computer and TV . They both work well. I find it amazing that my hearing aids and their adjustments are adjusted with settings from a roulette wheel. I've only dealt with Costco so far . 10 years and 2 pairs of hearing aids. I am about to go for a tune up after 18 months because I get good amplification of noise and crowds but not from the people near me. The newer ones have additional adjustments but I'm not excited about any of them. Initially I went to a shop nearby but they were only interested in a high pressure sale. Costco was charging about 60% less. Then I learned that Costco sells about 40% of the hearing aids in North America.

The hearing aid market is more of a syndicate to make as much money as they can while doing their best to have the customer think they are not getting ripped off. My Ex worked for an audiologist for a few years and things she would tell me.

I've been wearing hearing aids for over 15 years.   My first three HA's were purchased locally from different vendors and every experience left a lot to be desired.  Out here in the sticks, there's not much to choose from and I've had poor experience from the vendors.

I'm on my second set of hearing aids purchased from Costco.   The first set still works fine, the second set, even better.   I bought the new pair because  I wanted a spare set because I can't really get along without them.  We bought my wife's first set of HA's from Costco three years ago and she likes them.   I'm going to buy her a new set shortly to take advantage of the improvements made.

My nearest Costco is 2 1/2 hours away in Billings.   It's worth the trip for us.  Costco's hearing test and fitting are the best I've ever experience.  They use REM (real ear measurment) for fitting which works very well, IMO.  A pair cost $1,500-$1,600.   

I've done both Costco and a local hearing aid business and I can tell you there is quite a bit of difference, mostly in the service and knowledge of the local business. I have no complaints of the six years I got out of the Costco hearing aids. However, I think you experience there depends solely on how knowledgable the technician is an how willing they are to keep tweaking the devices.

I got my new hearing aids (Resound) from the VA using their Community Care option, which is a partnership with local businesses when they may be overloaded at the VA Clinic or that assures faster service. My hearing aid business is about a mile from my house so very convenient. Since I got my new ones in May of this year they have scheduled appointments four times to continue to check on a tweak the devices. I will go again next February. After my last visit two months ago they got the devices dialed in to where they are much better than my old Costco ones. ever were. With that many visits back to Costco would they have been able to dial theirs in as well ............ don't know ....... maybe.

I should also mention that all of my return visits to the local business, my devices were tweaked by a lady with a Doctor of Audiology degree from Kent State University. Since the VA is paying for everything I am certainly pleased with the product and service that I have gotten, including the initial exam and testing which was a bit more thorough than Costco. If the money were coming out of my pocket, with what I know now, I might still go to Costco, but would be much more aggressive in going back to them again and again until they had been tweaked to my satisfaction.

PS:  The technician at the place I am going now said my hearing aids would have been about $6,000.  I did notice that these follow up visits are about $1200 per visit, although the Government through United Healthcare, whom I assume handles the paperwork only pays them around $400.  I'm not sure that would have been part of the $6,000 or if it is totally separate.

Wish I could get hearing aids through the VA. I tried, but they said as my hearing loss wasn't related to my time in the service and the fact that my income is too high, I wasn't eligible for their services..

I've been doing more research. I think I'm going to bypass the hearing aid "specialists" and go to an actual audiologist.. someone who has been to medical school and isn't a high school graduate with a couple weeks of training. It will probably cost more, but I will pay whatever it might cost to be able to hear better than I am right now. I'm missing half (or more) of what my grandkids say and I'm tired of either asking people to repeat what they said or nodding my head like I understand.

I don't own a smart phone. I have an old flip phone I keep in my truck in case of an emergency..Can't recall the last time I used it. I hate cell phones..they are a big part of what's wrong with folks these days. They are addicted to them. So, I won't be getting hearing aids that a person can adjust with their cell phone!!! :)

About 3 years ago a Costco technician told me that my problem could possibly be that I no longer may be able to process words in my mind as fast as I could in prior years. It wasn't until I bought my TV headphones that I could conclude that she was full of $#it.. With the TV headphones I don't miss a bleep. The more I think of that expert medical opinion the angrier I get. First of all she isn't a neurologist. Second of all... a lack of technical ability should not be masked with fictional medical training. Don't believe everything you hear. I have since had better technicians in the same store.

Costco really isn't an option for me as the closest one is about 230 miles away. The benefits of living 200 miles from everything. :)

.... looks like we're about ^^ far from Winnipeg.... appointment in a couple of weeks with Costco for assessment/fitting/?? 

They told me I could have adjustments done at any store [as my travels might take me to Regina (3 hours), Saskatoon (5 hours) or Edmonton (11 hours)  .... although some of the ^^ comments have me "wondering about" the wisdom (?) of that.]

But, but, but, how come our appointments in Winnipeg  r-a-r-e-l-y  align with bluegrass performances? [Inquiring minds want to know!!  ]  This particular one almost does .... 1.5 hour appointment ostensibly at 6:00 ... a BG performance across the city 7:00-10:00 ... we shall see.

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Originally posted by stonebroke

Costco really isn't an option for me as the closest one is about 230 miles away. The benefits of living 200 miles from everything. :)

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You will save so much money on Costco's name brand hearing aids -- Jabra, Philips, Rexton, Sonite -- it might be worth an overnight stay, both when you go for your test and fitting and return to pick up your aids. You'd still spend less than the $4,000 or more you'd pay an audiologist. Granted, it's a ways to go if you need service.

Right now Costco is selling Jabra Enhance Pro 30 for $1700 a pair and the other brands for $1600. I started with Costco Kirkland store-brand hearing aids in 2016. Now wearing the Jabra Enhance Pro 20. They're great.

But if the distance is too much to bear, I'd seriously consider trying a pair of highly rated, well-reviewed, OTC hearing aids. Maybe not the bottom-price $99 ones. But something $250-$400.

I shop online and then check Ebay. There are some decent deals on new hearing aids. You need to do the research on the brand you might be interested in. I have Elehear Beyond Pro coming for $288. Will let you know what I think.
It is AI which supposedly cuts background noise.

>>So, I won't be getting hearing aids that a person can adjust with their cell phone!!! :)<<

You will be bypassing many of the features of modern hearing aids in this case. I do agree with the idea of people being addicted to them, but you don't have to be one of them. My HAs do pair with my smart phone and I consider that to be a distinct advantage. I can turn them up or down as needed if my needs occur outside of the normal default program my aids are set at. (I have used my phone app to turn down the volume at music concerts since that can be a loud environment where you needs the aids but not the volume they normally receive). I can answer and speak on my phone hands free since my HAs become my phone's speaker. (This is a plus for receiving calls while driving in those cases). I set up a program I use to strictly play my banjo with. I can receive a text message without others hearing my phone go off since the audio notices come through my HAs. Also applies to incoming calls.  Just things to consider before counting out the smartphone altogether when using a HAs. I am not sure those HAs are even available anymore but you can certainly ask. 

Bobby

I'll reiterate ......... unless you have been to both Costco and a certified Audiologist at a retail business, you really have nothing to compare to. All of my friends that shelled out $6,000 pooh poohed me and others that went to Costco and those of us that went to Costco accused them of throwing away money ....... and I think in many cases we were both right. I may have said earlier, I would not be much more comfortable going to Costco, because I think I know what can and should be done to dial hearing aids in. I am not sure my Costco technician was capable of doing what my degreed audiologist could do, but I suspect there are some that can. Luck of the draw I guess. If the VA says they are through with me and I can't get new ones through them when I need them, I would probably go back to Costco, but would also have a base line knowing what service and results would be acceptable.

quote:

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Originally posted by BanjoLink

I would not be much more comfortable going to Costco, because I think I know what can and should be done to dial hearing aids in. I am not sure my Costco technician was capable of doing what my degreed audiologist could do, but I suspect there are some that can. 

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I've purchased from two different Costco hearing centers and the staff at both knew how to adjust the hearing aids to suit my preferences. In both cases, the settings based on my audiogram didn't sound good to me. With my previous pair someone talking close to me sounded like they were a demo presenter at a trade show booth talking through a trebly PA. The tech fixed that. My current pair (Jabra) were just too loud. Of course, I can manually adjust volume any time I want, but I preferred that the default setting be a volume I prefer.

These Jabra aids are the best I've worn in the 10 years I've been on hearing aids. The device that puts TV audio into them (a free promotion at the time) doesn't work. We stream through a ROKU and I can't get the audio to synch. Too long ago for me to remember the details. But I think one issue has to my TV is old and I don't have the right kind of output port. If we ever get a new TV, I'll try again.

quote:

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Originally posted by Old Hickory

quote:

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Originally posted by BanjoLink

I would not be much more comfortable going to Costco, because I think I know what can and should be done to dial hearing aids in. I am not sure my Costco technician was capable of doing what my degreed audiologist could do, but I suspect there are some that can. 

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I've purchased from two different Costco hearing centers and the staff at both knew how to adjust the hearing aids to suit my preferences. In both cases, the settings based on my audiogram didn't sound good to me. With my previous pair someone talking close to me sounded like they were a demo presenter at a trade show booth talking through a trebly PA. The tech fixed that. My current pair (Jabra) were just too loud. Of course, I can manually adjust volume any time I want, but I preferred that the default setting be a volume I prefer.

These Jabra aids are the best I've worn in the 10 years I've been on hearing aids. The device that puts TV audio into them (a free promotion at the time) doesn't work. We stream through a ROKU and I can't get the audio to synch. Too long ago for me to remember the details. But I think one issue has to my TV is old and I don't have the right kind of output port. If we ever get a new TV, I'll try again.

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My first Costco technician was an attractive young lady, whom honestly I did not think had the experience to firgue out how to really adjust mine properly,  After she left there was a young man who was in training, under an older gentleman who I think knew what he was doing.  Hpowever, until you get them adjust correctly, you do not know how they should work.  It is certainly not ever going to be as good as when I could hear without them, so my expectations, I think, were reasonable.  This new group I go to got mine dialed in where I don't really need top adjust them except for volume, or when I am in a crowd.

One thing that really ticks me off though.  I just got my bill from the audiologist and although I do not have to pay a dime, I thnk they are stiffing the VA (our government).  For a 15 minute visit, the total bill came to $2100, and they literally did nothing but check my HAs and see if they were functioning properly and ask me if everything was ok.  After write-off (which is the stupidest thing I have ever heard of) they VA approved a tad over $400 ..... still 4 times too much.

Re, that ^^ billing structure... are there any similarities between that ^^, and the broader medical system?

About 1958 my dad was sent to Winnipeg to get further checked out regarding a suspected stroke. A doc came into my Dad's room one a.m. and asked, "How are you this morning?" The doc then looked more closely at his chart/paperwork and determined that Dad wasn't a patient of his, so he excused himself and left. But, but, but that consultation (?)  was on the itemized bill from the Winnipeg General Hospital.  The more things change, the more they stay the same??

Try Amazon. My first set thru insurance for $1000 went bad. Ordered Elehear from amazon last year for under $300. Bluetooth, 4-5 different settings including music, tv, restaurant , general.
These are actually better than the expensive ones. Can use cell phone thru them. Check them out and there are others out there. Save your money for a new Banjo.

Good luck,
Rich