Hearing Aid Price Points

Worry Free Hearing Aid Ownership with Hearing Excellence!

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You Think Hearing Devices Are Expensive? Let Us Dispell The Myth!

A recent study by Hearing Tracker and HLAA with over 2000 survey respondents showed that the respondents that purchased hearing aids only 2.9% of them had mild hearing loss. Generally, consumers will wait for 2- 7 years until they purchase their hearing aids. During this time their hearing continues to decline and impacts their overall health. In the same survey, 28.9% of the respondents who had purchased hearing aids, had a moderate hearing loss and 31.4% had a severe hearing loss. Not coincidental, the inaction does decrease hearing and puts more stress on the body and when the condition becomes noticeable to the consumer and their loved ones, the consumers are then pushed into taking some action. One of the main reasons for consumers delaying their decision regarding purchasing a hearing aid is the cost of ownership and a lack of transparency in pricing in the industry.

To fully understand the total cost of ownership of hearing aids and hearing aid pricing, let us break it into 4 major parts

1. Hearing test and diagnosis of hearing loss
2. Hearing Aids – Hardware and Software
3. Personalized programming of the device and initial adjustments
4. Ongoing care for 3-4 years

1. Hearing Test and diagnosis of hearing loss: An audiologist or a hearing instrument specialist or our clinicians are highly qualified professionals and are the primary health-care professionals who evaluate, diagnose, treat, and manage hearing loss and balance disorders. They have spent many years in university or college to build their expertise. Many audiologists earn a Doctor of Audiology (AuD) degree. Some even earn a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Doctor of Science (ScD) degree in the hearing and balance sciences. Generally billed at $150 an hour they spend between 4-6 hours with a client during the initial testing and prescription, programming of device and adjustment phase.During this process, the clinician also conducts several super specialized diagnostics using sophisticated machines to recommend the right treatment protocols for your conditions.

2. Hearing Aids – Hardware and Software: Hearing aids come in levels and could cost you from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. The cost of the device is determined by features and function. The more features and higher performance you need, the higher will be the device cost.Hearing aids are not just amplifiers and the price of hearing aids cannot be measured by the plastic shell you see or some of the major components like a microphone, an amplifier, a microchip, a receiver or a battery that is inside the shell. These devices are incredibly advanced, high-tech computers. Some of these devices scan your environment more than 100 times per second, handling more than 1,200 million operations per second. They are fast enough to follow multi-person conversations in dynamic noisy environments. Hearing aid manufacturers spend millions of dollars into making these devices smaller, lighter, more functional, more user-friendly, increasing the processing power and making them more energy efficient. Think about it, how many devices have you come across that are so small, weigh only a few grams, have so much of technology and works 8-10 hours a day for 4-6 days on a battery that size.

3. Personalized programming of the device and initial adjustments: Your hearing needs are individual, and your condition is unique. Our clinicians work with your hearing device and you and custom program the device to meet your specific needs. Also, hearing loss typically develops over many years. While you are re-acquainted with sounds while using hearing aids, the device is stimulating the auditory area of your brain. Hence, in the initial period, the device must be adjusted multiple times to provide you with a comfortable transition. Multiple hours of counselling and programming are part of this stage. And for any reason, if you are still not satisfied with the hearing devices, at this point you can still return them for a refund.

4. On-going care for 3-4 years: We ensure you that your hearing health and your investment into a hearing device is in safe hands. Our service comes with a lifetime care of your devices and includes adjustments to ensure your devices are working at optimal performance, cleanings, check-ups and an annual hearing evaluation. Your devices also have a 3-year limited warranty and 2 years loss and damage protection. In the next 3-4 years, you will be visiting us between 12-18 times related to your hearing device. All these consultations and tests are covered in the cost of hearing aids and you will not have to pay extra for any service that is part of our device care program.Another frequently asked question related to hearing aid pricing is, Why do hearing aids cost less in a few big box stores? Is it because the big box stores have higher volume and bargaining power than independent hearing clinics?  The answer to this common question is quite simple and this belief is a myth and the answer is NO. It becomes clear when you compare what goes into the pricing. We researched a few big box stores and saw these stores were selling premium or mid-level technology hearing aids at a reasonable price, but these devices may not be using the current generation chips and technology. To get to an attractive price point, some stores might modify the technology with select manufacturers. Key is to research beyond just pricing and colour of the plastic cover on hearing aids but to look under the hood and confirm if you are getting the optimal value. It’s like purchasing an older technology TV or mobile phone when newer devices are available. We encourage you to see through the marketing and have a discussion with your clinician and find out if a lower technology level in the current generation of hearing aids have superior functionality than the premium level of older technology, or if they would recommend an older technology from the manufacturer.

Putting the Cost and value of a Hearing Aid in Perspective

According to a study published in 2018, an average cost of a hearing aid in the US was $2,372 but it is imperative to understand the value we get out of these devices every day. Hearing is one sense that works 24 x 7 and like coffee is an integral part of our conversations and everyday life. We wanted to draw a parallel on the amount of time and money we spend into the nectar that wakes us every day and a sense that helps us be part of a conversation. In Canada, coffee is a $6.2Billion industry and we are the 3^rd largest consumers of coffee we drink 152.1 liters of coffee per year according to Euromonitor. Another article in Consumerist states that the average worker in US spends about $20 per week on coffee. The point to wonder is that, we do not think twice about spending just over a thousand dollars per year on coffee but spending almost the same amount on hearing devices that will help us participate in the coffee conversations and bring us closer to your loved ones becomes a challenge and we postpone deciding to purchase our hearing devices for number of years till our loved ones push us to act.

We have made it so easy for our clients to own their hearing devices with easy payment options that now there should be no excuse. A hearing device financed through our lending partners could cost you as little as 86 cents a day for an entry level model to under $7 a day for most premium models. On average a person wears a hearing device for 8- 10 hours a day.

Think about it.

If you spend an hour in a coffee shop with a friend, hearing for that hour cost you between 9 cents and 70 cents. Far lesser than what was paid for the cup of coffee. 

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