Connect
← Return to Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others
Discussion
Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others
Hearing Loss | Last Active: 11 hours ago | Replies (1518)Comment receiving replies
@earscan Some of the information you've posted is incorrect. Officially, OTC hearing aids are not yet on the market. The FDA has not written and published the regulations for them. At this point, while some of the devices being advertised as hearing aids, they are not so under regulations. Until the FDA regulations are published and posted there are no legitimate OTC hearing aids. Hopefully that will happen soon.
Those who are audiologists (AuD) have more than a master's degree in audiological studies. They have a doctorate degree. Hearing instrument specialsts (HIS) do not have that kind of education and many don't have any college level training. Yes, some do as this is a lucrative profession. In my state, both AuD and HIS take the same state exam to be licensed to sell hearing aids. Most HIS do internships before taking the exam. I believe that is typical of most other states. Personally, I believe in education and would be inclined to put my trust and health in the hands of someone who is educated in the field I have issues in.
There is way to much misinformation in the hearing healthcare field. Distorted information as well. Most advertisements for hearing aids market denial by suggesting that people should hide their hearing loss with 'invisible' products. It's a shame that hearing instruments cost so much. That would change if the people who could benefit from them would get them, or if insurance coverage for them would be standard. Many cannot afford to buy them, and denial fuels that fire.
I would also point out that while the big box stores do sell quality hearing instruments, some of those stores are able to 'lock' the hearing aids they sell. This simply means that they cannot be adjusted or repaired by another entity. Not a good deal if you need support and are not in a place where that particular franchise is available to you.
Hearing aids have been part of my life for over 40 years. I am thankful for the information I have accumulated.
Replies to "@earscan Some of the information you've posted is incorrect. Officially, OTC hearing aids are not yet..."
Connect
First of all, check out High Health Innovations, OtC from United Health Care, and Eargo Hearing Aids which are now traded on the NY stock Exchange. These are OTC hearing aids and can be ordered on line as many other hearing aids can also be ordered on line. There are many OTC hearing devices available on line. I worked for United Healthcare in the education department on all the states regulations and many states exempt audiologists from taking that same exam that hearing aid healthcare professionals take. Their exam, and I helped write the training courses, are more about what the hearing aids can do, about receivers and mics and the IC chips, about acoustics and ethics. Many hearing instrument specialists are also audiologists and are working in "big box" places. Some are actually ENTs.
The cost factor is a misnomer and relies on the overhead of the provider. A Siemens hearing system can sell for $7,000 at Miracle Ear or at an Audiologist/ENT office and the same system can sell for $2,000 at Costco. More education in this environment does not mean one knows how to program correctly. When Eargo turned their internet sales over to sales by customer service, who memorized fixes to problems, the return rate was much higher than if the aids were programmed by hearing aid professionals, and a little higher than if they had been programmed by audiologists. Look at the return rate of different groups and those with the most experiences have less returns than those right out of college. The hearing aids, wholesale, only differ in price by the quantity the client buys; but the retail price is often determined, not by expertise, but by degrees after one's names. I have been in this field for 40 years and have seen it all. It benefits the consumer/patient to shop around. Insurance currently covers a lot of hearing aids, but the amount the insurance provides often does not constitute the price of a quality hearing aid. The difference? It is how the hearing aid is manufactured, ie. the parts are typically $300, and the whole sale price for a quality hearing aid is around $1,200 so the rest is what the professional charges. I dealt with all major manufacturers. This gives you an idea of how to approach buying instruments and, again, the key is in the programming so look for the most experienced person.