Anyone else feeling stickershock

[pscot]

as you contemplate the cost of a new hearing aid? I'm new to this. My hearing loss has only become an issue in the last year or so. But it seems to me that we don't really have a free market in hearing aids and accessories, and the prices reflect`that fact. In addition, there are gate-keepers who limit access to products, and control the free flow of information. Jargon abounds. Clear, useful information that might enable comparison shopping is hard to get. Regulations ostensibly designed to protect a vulnerable little old lady from predatory sales practices, seem coincidentally to line the pockets of "expert" middle men who may or may not add value to the process.

As noted above, I'm relatively new to this,so maybe I'm all wet. Please share your experiences and insights. I think this system is ripe for change.

[DavidDvorkin]

1. They're expensive, but the price does keep coming down

The price of the newest, top-of-the-line hearing aids is misleading. The ones below that were previously the high-priced, top-of-the-line models, and those models now cost less than they did before.

Which doesn't change the fact that $2-4,000 for a pair of hearing aids is a shocking amount of money. But it used to be considerably more than that for technology that's inferior to what's now available.

[uppityperson]

2. Talk to audiologists and aid providers.

I got my first set at cost from a audiologist. They were the yr befores "floor model", used to show people what they looked like, how to batteries, etc. They had never been used, and they cost $400 each rather than $1200. It never hurts to ask if they have something like this. Shop around. I went to a place that sold hearing aids, rather sleezy place, ended up at a independent small audiologist. Low pressure is much better than high pressure. Good luck.

[China_cat]

3. Check your local Costco.

Ours does free hearing tests and has the latest in aids for about a third of the cost from other companies.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. I agree. The cost of hearing aids is exorbitant.

My mother has a prescription, but still hasn't gotten them, says they're too expensive. I think she's just looking for an excuse to continue avoiding her hearing issues, since she can afford them, but this is a legitimate concern for an awful lot of people, especially older people...:-(