Hearings aid purchase any discounts

[Ladygoldenhair]

Searching for hearing aid offset. Sis in law has Medicare, blue cross as a supplemental, AARP, PESR, pa ed worker retired, we can't find anywhere to off set the $3,000 + cost.

I thought they would be about $500-$600, no idea it was this much.

 

[gymboqueenkaylee]

I just went through this with DD and her hearing aids which were about 3000 each (waterproof because she's a swimmer). Our insurance did not cover them because it was a self funded policy and unfortunately I had to pay out of pocket for the entire thing. Maybe the office can point your in the direction of financial aid. Some companies have programs for them (we did not qualify because I made too much money). I feel her pain though! I didn't realize hearing aids were so much money either until we had to purchase them.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

Ah, bless your dd, what a sweetie to swim, I'm a doggie paddler anymore.

I did a little reading to see why my sisters were a few hundred; she had amplifiers. The new models are digital and can range from $1,000 to $6,000.

My worry with her was a past experience I had with a tens unit. A supplier came to the doctors office with a free two week trial. He showed me how to use it, and then contacted me if I wanted to keep it. The cost was $150.00, but recently I went online to replace the same model and it was $53 with free shipping and 10% discount.

That's a big mark up. In her case, it is not the doctor, but someone that comes to the office twice a week.
She believes if she doesn't get it she will get senility set in. My concern, she sometimes has diminished hearing, but we converse, speak on the phone, order meals, I didn't detect any profound problem.

I don't want her taken advantage of.

 

[mom2mikel]

My dad just got a set at Costco for I think $2000. I believe they had cheaper options too. I would recommend checking with Costco and Sam's Club. He joined just to get the hearing aids -- it was well worth the cost of membership.

Good luck!

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

My dad just got a set at Costco for I think $2000. I believe they had cheaper options too. I would recommend checking with Costco and Sam's Club. He joined just to get the hearing aids -- it was well worth the cost of membership.

Good luck!

Good idea, she has a SAMs club, I love the contacts price!

 

[Earstou]

Dh got his at Costco earlier this year. When my current ones die, I will be going there for my new ones.
My mom, and then her boyfriend, have now gotten hearing aids at Costco after hearing the price dh paid! My bil probably will, too.

 

[Donnainnj]

Don't currently have anyone with hearing aids, but Costco is the first place I thought of, and found this http://www.costco.com/hearing-aid-styles.html

 

[Sandy321]

keep in mind when looking at hearing aids, the price they show is for one aide, we have 2 ears...

My ds is now 29 he's had hearing aids since he was 4, so don't get me started!

(and we are hoping that the technology out there will reach down to hearing aids and bring the cost down - there have been rumblings! )

also for the kids with hearing issues, there are special programs to help with phones - (back in the day there was TTY, there was the message/text only units, etc) Now ds gets a phone plan for $10 a month, its an android phone, and he's not here, so I forget the particulars... but $10 a month includes free data, texting, he gets a few minutes (20? 50? I can't remember) a month, if he goes over, its 25 cents a minute...

so if he's in an emergency and calls home, he may not hear us, but when that phone rings, we know its an emergency!!

 

[Frankiemack]

My wife requires hearing aids and insurance doesn't cover. It was recommended she get the Oticon Chili SP9's - we got a quote of $6400 for the pair. (We paid $3800 for her SP5's 4 years ago)

I found a company called TruHearing. They partner with other benefit providers to offer discounted rates on hearing aids. We have VSP vision insurance and they are a partner of Truhearing. Google them - good info on their website or just give them a call. The company doesn't discount Oticon hearing aids but they do discount Starkey, Phonak, Widex, Resound and Unitron.

Although she loves Oticon, my wife has to consider switching to Starkey 110's for around $3800 for the pair.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

Wow, I wish we had a Costco near us! The information is so helpful. Again, the help from the forum is great! Bless you all for sharing.

 

[2Kds2K9]

DH is currently studying to become a licensed hearing Aid specialist at Costco. So, know that these are certified and licensed people helping you out. The prices can't be beat. He also said that the prices of batteries is more than half off than anywhere else. Also, once you get tested and buy your hearing aides, you are permanently in their system. Meaning, you can get your hearing aides adjusted at any Costco worldwide without any problem. Good luck.

 

[NotUrsula]

She believes if she doesn't get it she will get senility set in. My concern, she sometimes has diminished hearing, but we converse, speak on the phone, order meals, I didn't detect any profound problem

You don't detect it because she is working REALLY hard at compensating. She's very smart to realize that not being able to hear well will begin to adversely affect her ability to associate with others.

There is a name for what happens to the Hard-of-Hearing when we don't get aids. It is called aural fatigue. It takes a lot of mental effort to compensate for being HOH; we read lips, we watch body language, we have to position ourselves properly in relation to others to be able to see their faces, we try to lean new technologies that will help us, and try again when those technologies quickly become obsolete ... it all takes a toll, and the almost universal upshot is that after a year or two, you stop trying so hard and just start to withdraw from social contact because it feels like it's too much trouble to make the effort. By ten years after the loss happens, the effect is usually very noticeable, and the person will have given up a lot of social activities. The resultant isolation feeds loss of cognitive ability over time.

 

[gymboqueenkaylee]

DH is currently studying to become a licensed hearing Aid specialist at Costco. So, know that these are certified and licensed people helping you out. The prices can't be beat. He also said that the prices of batteries is more than half off than anywhere else. Also, once you get tested and buy your hearing aides, you are permanently in their system. Meaning, you can get your hearing aides adjusted at any Costco worldwide without any problem. Good luck.

I will have to check out hearing aid battery prices at Costco, I never even thought of purchasing them there. Doh! I pay about 40.00 per box of batteries (which does last a while but that's expensive!!). Thanks for the reminder.

 

[v.t.]

I just went through this with DD and her hearing aids which were about 3000 each (waterproof because she's a swimmer). Our insurance did not cover them because it was a self funded policy and unfortunately I had to pay out of pocket for the entire thing. Maybe the office can point your in the direction of financial aid. Some companies have programs for them (we did not qualify because I made too much money). I feel her pain though! I didn't realize hearing aids were so much money either until we had to purchase them.

What type did your DD get? My DH cannot wear his hearing aids during the summer months because he sweats so much. He just purchased a new pair that are water-resistant, but they would not guarantee water proof.

For the OP, we paid $5500 and that includes blue tooth and a mic; 3 years of batteries and complete insurance. Our medical insurance would not cover anything. Good luck.

 

[tvguy]

My wife's stepmother just got her first hearing aids, came to nearly $7,000.

My FIL is retired career Air Force, and they opted for Tricare Insurance, and that paid the entire tab.