LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Cost of hearing aids punishing for seniors Dear Editor, Why is there is no regulation for hearing aid prices in Canada? Prices can range from $3,000 to over $6,000. While there is a government deduction of $1,000 to the consumer, hearing aids can still cost an exorbitant amount for many seniors and low income individuals. Vendor providers inflate the prices to make this a highly lucrative business. Prices, for example, can cost anywhere from a mild hearing loss hearing aid of $3,000 $4,000, while intermediate devices and more severe hearing loss can range much higher. Even with the government kicking in $1,000, this still leaves a substantial amount of money for the consumer to find. While one can finance at approximately 7-8%, it still means that many seniors have to go into debt for this significant improvement in ear health, brain health, hearing ability and quality of life, at any age.
Even those seniors lucky enough to have Medical Insurance Plans can only expect anywhere from $100 to $300 reimbursement. The bulk of the costs are from the manufacturers’ research money in developing the hearing aid, the cost of the local dealer, the limited amount of consumers or the expense of running a brick and mortar business. All the added costs are passed on to the consumer hence the high prices. Apparently, according to research, many thousands of Canadians with age related hearing loss just don’t buy them as they simply cannot afford them, especially those living on government pensions and other allowances. This seems to be a highly ineffective way of helping our seniors age gracefully, keeping their minds sharp and their hearing optimal via hearing aids.
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