I have a hearing loss that was the result of gun noise and pressure waves from Navy Ship big gun practice.. My left ear is just decoration .. my right ear is much better .. not great .. but I am 83 years old.. While I did not complain of hearing loss when I got out of the service the Veterans Administration does not give me any disability and that's a hassle but they did allow me to go to the VA to get hearing aids finally as I too was always appalled at the high price of hearing aids and how much those companies spent on advertising.. Before retirement I did use hearing aids I purchased but they were antiquated compared to the ones the VA gave me ... I only had to pay a nominal amount for the test and a doctor visit.. I have Starkey Hearing Aids that are rechargeable, over the ear (quite small) that work beautifully.. the left ear aid rebroadcasts the sound it receives to the right ear hearing aid... they came with a little box where I put the aids at night to recharge.. or anytime I do not wear them ... as I live alone I often do not wear the aids as I like the quiet...but going out they really help me relate to what people are saying.. The Hearing Aids work with my smart phone and come with a remote microphone on a lanyard that I wear around my neck .. that remote mic can connect me to the phone beautifully... or you can give the remote mic to a person you care about hearing so they can be 15' away and I can hear them...no problem.. Hearing aids work best with Apple and Top quality cell phones..