Should I Buy Hearing Aids Online?
Thursday, August 11th 2011
In the last decade, the Internet has become a source of information, data, connectivity, and commerce. Its role in the American lifestyle grows each year as enterprise and creativity combine to create new products and services. For many industries the Internet has streamlined the process of getting in-demand products to consumers. The marketplace is full of products, but how can you navigate this terrain safely? For the hearing aid consumer, the Internet serves as a wonderful resource for researching hearing loss and hearing aid technology; however, when it comes purchasing hearing aids online consumers should proceed with extreme caution.
The main allure associated with purchasing a hearing aid online is the rock-bottom price. Sites that offer "the best digital hearing aid prices" have sprung up all over the Internet, offering products in the $500-$800 range for a single unit. These prices represent, at face-value, a 60% price reduction over purchasing from a local Audiologist's private practice. But that old adage "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is" applies here in many startling ways.
One major online distributer charges about $600 per aid on average, but after the first adjustment charge of $20 (for shipping and handling) each subsequent adjustment costs $40 per aid plus shipping charges. For a user with two hearing aids, each subsequent adjustment will not only cost $100 but will take several days to complete and be returned by mail. It is imperative to understand that hearing aids are not like eyeglasses-an exam and a new pair of hearing aids will not have your hearing back to 100% on your way out of the office. Hearing takes place in the brain, not the ear, and the brain needs time to adjust and process new information. Therefore the process of restoring some of the hearing ability lost takes time. As the brain adapts, adjustments to the strength and volume of the hearing aid will be necessary. Consider that with the $100 cost of getting an adjustment, and it is clear that a hearing aid that initially cost only $600 will cost much, much more to actually receive a real, tangible benefit from.
While initially saving the purchaser a few hundred dollars, the savings are just that-initial. The trade-offs the purchaser assumes with those initial savings in many cases actually costs them more in the long run than they would have spent going to a licensed local hearing care practitioner. Those online hearing aid dispensers do much to hide the post-purchase costs associated with a hearing aid purchase, costs that are built-in to the cost of purchasing from a private practitioner.
A typical hearing aid purchase from a private practitioner will follow this basic outline, every time. The purchaser will visit the office and have a comprehensive hearing exam in a sound-treated booth. The results of this hearing exam will provide the specialist with a map of the level and type of hearing loss of the tested individual. If a hearing loss is discovered, the information from the exam will inform the recommendation for a type of hearing aid.
Hearing aids purchased from an Audiologist's practice range in price from $750 per unit for an introductory hearing aid to $3500 per unit for the most advanced processing hearing aid instrument available. The average amount spent by new hearing aid wearers falls around $2500 per unit. This represents the middle ground for top-of-the-line technology and affordability. But what is most important to understand about these price points is that, excepting warranty renewals, they represent the final amount spent for hearing help. This purchase price includes all follow-up visits, office appointments for adjustments, regular cleaning and servicing, and annual hearing evaluations. In essence, while the sticker shock for purchasing a premium hearing aid may be difficult to reconcile with the enticing bargains advertised online, the price you see is the price you pay-no hidden fees or further charges for service.
Why Purchasing Face-to-Face is Important
A successful fitting of hearing aids is dependent on many factors beyond simply buying the right hearing aids for you and your hearing loss. Some important factors to consider:
· A hearing professional will evaluate your hearing loss through simple, painless testing. They will also be able to factor in your lifestyle to ensure that you are matched with the proper hearing aid. Do you attend church each week? Volunteer with a youth group? Eat out in restaurants frequently? Watch television or listen to music? Attend business meetings or give talks or speeches? Without a professional there between you, the buyer, and your purchase, navigating hearing aid technology and understanding your hearing loss will be extremely difficult. The potential to purchase the wrong hearing aid for your needs is high.
· A hearing test is the first step in choosing and programming hearing aids; however, hearing loss alone cannot predict accurate hearing aid settings. A hearing professional will perform additional subjective and objective testing to further fine-tune the hearing aids.
· A hearing aid professional is readily available to answer questions, make fine-tuning adjustments and monitor your hearing over the years. Expect to establish a long-term friendship with a good hearing aid professional--you'll be seeing each other regularly.
· Trial periods, returns and guarantees - most hearing professionals offer a trial period on newly purchased hearing aids - are often a requirement of the state in which you live. Hearing care professionals are with you one-on-one throughout the trial period and beyond to ensure the hearing aids are the right fit for you.
Quality hearing aids are so much more than mere amplifiers. They are complex, sophisticated, medical electronic devices that not only allow those with a hearing loss to more fully hear the true sounds of the world around them. They greatly improve the quality of life of and bring happiness to many satisfied wearers. This investment should be entrusted to hearing healthcare professional that will not only work closely with you on your journey to better hearing, but will develop a lasting relationship with you for the years to come.
Shalia Stockstill is a free-lance writer and Professional Patient Ambassador at California Hearing Aid Professionals in Glendora, CA.
