The Truth About Hearing Aids
I think it’s time that someone talks about this topic that everyone seems to be avoiding but at the same time, everyone wants to address.
One of the leading deterrents for treating hearing loss is the fact that hearing aids are so expensive. The majority of the population thinks that the hearing aid industry is out to get your money- that we are in the business for the money. Sadly, this may hold true for some but I am certain that there are still many of us in the industry whose main motivation for continuing to be in the hearing healthcare is to be of service to our patients.
The high cost of hearing aids lead people to “shop around”. I hear this phrase all the time. I can’t blame them. Who doesn’t love a good deal, right? But what exactly are you shopping around for? Do you really know? My hope for writing this article is to shed some understanding to our “shoppers” to ensure that they are truly getting the deal that they were shopping around for.
Are hearing aids all the same? If I were to give an answer, with no explanations, and my answer is to only say YES or NO, then I would pick YES. Now before I get stoned by my fellow clinicians let me explain- In the clinic, my patients would always ask me- Why is there such a huge range of hearing aid prices? How do I know which one is best for me? What makes them better than the lower/cheaper models? Will I hear the difference? To explain it best to my patients- I compare it to buying a vehicle. There are many different kinds of vehicles- sports car, sedan, SUV, a pick up truck, etc. and all of these kinds are sold by many different brands- Toyota, Ford, GM, etc. All these vehicles, no matter what you choose will do the same objective- get you where you need to be. So the cars are the hearing aids, and getting to your destination is hearing better. However, the patient doesn’t know how to drive- so now s/he needs a driver. For this purpose, we will pretend that there are no self-driving cars. The driver you need to operate the vehicle that you just bought is your trusted clinician- an audiologist or hearing instrument specialist. Your driver needs to be familiar with and knowledgeable about your vehicle and the laws of the road to make your travels smooth and safe. Your trusted clinician should know based on their clinical skills, experience, education, and listening to you and evaluating your needs what hearing aids to prescribe and how to program your hearing aids uniquely for you to make your hearing journey smooth and safe.
If there is one takeaway that I would like to convey- when you “shop around” for hearing aids- look beyond the price tag- consider as well to whom you are entrusting your hearing health. Hearing well is maintaining a connection to the world, and to the people around us- they are worth it- you are worth it.
