@doug48

Costco has great prices for hearing aids but are mostly for mild to moderate hearing loss. Their choices for profound hearing loss are minimal and, even though they carry top of the line like Phoanak , they may not work for a profound loss. That being said ,Costco has a great trial period and is a good starting point for anyone new to hearing loss.

My loss is profound and I do get my hearing aids from an ENT practice because the phonak aids I have are more powerful than the ones that Costco sells. They are definitely more expensive and my audiologists over the years agree that prices are extremely expensive, Some ENT practices will sell you refurbished earring aids so you could ask if that is an option. Also they will extend the ridiculous 30 day trial period . The companies want you to buy their aids and are more than willing to extend the trial period.
If you need bilateral aids like I do, find out which ear is the worst. Perhaps you could benefit from a pricy aid for the worst ear and a Costco aid for the
better ear. Don’t let anyone tell you that mixing brands wouldn’t work.

The goal is to find a good audiologist who is a good programmer and will work with you with numerous adjustments, if necessary. If the aid is a Behind the Ear type, a well fitting mold makes all the difference in the world.

I have been lucky with my audiologists over the years. My current one said I would not benefit from the latest brand and don’t need all the bells and whistles that an upgraded aid provides.

I do visit my ENT practice 3-4 times a year to make sure my ears are free from wax and debris. Learn all you can about hearing aids and your loss. Keep a journal of how the aids work in different environments. If your aids use tubing, learn how to retube them yourself. YouTube has tutorials.

I would love to use an audiologist at Costco but I have had hearing loss for 40 plus years and know that I need all that an ENT office had to offer. If, at any time, you are not comfortable with your current hearing aid provider, get another one. You are in the drivers seat and there are too many hearing aid providers around ( at least in my state of Florida there are)