I agree with everything Julie has said but want to add two very important pieces of information.
One not all audiologists have the same skill level and because there appears to be a shortage across the country even the good ones are overwhelmed because many companies have cut the audiologists on staff from two to one. They just don’t have the time to properly fit you with the best hearing aids and more importantly adjust them properly. If you have a good hospital in your area make an appointment with an audiologist on their staff. They will have more sophisticated equipment to test your hearing loss and more time to adjust your hearing aids.
Two there are companies like TruHearing that offer top of the line hearing aids at greatly reduced prices. The problem is you have to stay within their provider network. That is where you might have to go outside that network to find an audiologist that has the time and expertise to better adjust those hearing aids. It might cost you a slight copay but it is well worth it.
Finally something else you might want to consider is a quality custom ear mold to maximize your hearing aids effectiveness.
Good luck to all of you.