WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE PURCHASING HEARING AIDS
By Dr. Douglas Kloss If you are over the age of 60, you are probably getting several pieces of direct mail that advertise the latest and greatest in hearing aid technology. You probably also noticed that there are plenty of advertisements in your local newspaper for hearing aids. Do you know why? Hearing aids are sold/dispensed by two groups, audiologists and hearing aid dispensers. All audiologists have at least a master’s degree in audiology, and many have doctoral level credentials. Hearing aid dispensers must pass a state exam to earn their license to dispense hearing aids. There is no formal training, college courses or degrees required to become a hearing aid dispenser. Hearing aids are manufactured by six major companies and several subsidiaries. There are plenty of brand names and models, but, in general, most hearing aids that are sold are manufactured by one of these six companies. However, you won’t buy hearing aids directly from these companies, as they are dispensed by local audiologists, hearing aid dispensers and large hearing aid franchises. When making the decision to investigate new hearing aids, many folks take advantage of advertised offers. Many of these offers can be misleading and tend to promise things that simply are not possible. Common themes include phony “research” studies that need people to “test” their new product, coupons for outrageous discount amounts or simply prices that are extraordinarily low. Please ask yourself: Who is paying for the expensive advertising you are seeing? Is this company in the paper every day? Do they send you direct mail on a weekly basis? You can bet you will be paying a premium price for their hearing aids. Remember, only six companies make the overwhelming majority of hearing aids. The top level hearing aids from each company are all high-quality products that can be fit successfully on most patients. There is not one hearing aid company that stands out and has “the best” hearing aids for every patient. However, there are hearing aid companies that do have technology that is “the best” for certain hearing losses. This is where the skill of an independent audiologist who works with several of the top hearing aid manufacturers is most advantageous. Good advice for those interested in hearing aids is to get an estimate of what it would cost for the hearing aids that are recommended for you and then compare that cost with others. Forget about the $1,000 coupons, 50% discounts, phony research studies and fake evaluation periods for “new technology.” You need the final cost and the level of technology that is being recommended to make an accurate comparison. It would also be wise to find the most qualified person available to fit your hearing aids. Here is a set of questions you can ask when purchasing new hearing aids: 1) What level of technology is being recommended? Why is this level being recommended? 2) How many channels do the hearing aids have? Channels allow for greater programming and fine-tuning ability. The more channels you have, the greater the technology and ability to adjust to your needs. For example, a 16-channel hearing aid is generally more technologically advanced than a six-channel hearing aid, but the prices can be the same. You would want the 16-channel aid, not the six. You certainly don’t want to pay the same price for a six-channel aid at one establishment when you can get the 16-channel aid for the same price elsewhere. This happens often. 3) How long is the warranty? Does it include loss and damage? 4) How much are office visits? 5) Who pays for batteries? Are the hearing aids rechargeable? 6) If I return my hearing aids during the trial period, how much will it cost me? Some establishments don’t charge a fee, while others can charge hundreds of dollars. Dr. Douglas Kloss is an audiologist with Midwest Audiology Center LLC, 4818 S. 76th St., Suite 3, Greenfield, Wis. 53220. For more information, call 414.281.8300 or visit MidwestAudiology.net. By appointment only. APRIL 2014 MHL 37