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Thursday, May 15, 2014

My Experience and Tips Regarding Hearing Aid Dispensaries

Over the years, I've gone through at least 4 pairs of hearing aids. I've always had good experience at the audiologists office, until last week. What we experienced should not happen to anyone. You'll find a tip or two to help you here if you are in the market for new hearing aids, or getting a pair of used ones refurbished for yourself.

I was given a pair of barely used hearing aids from a generous heart who now has a pair of cochlear implants. I was thrilled the day they arrived, happy to move on from my 10 year old aids,  (which were also pre-owned and came to me courtesy of the Coos Bay Lion's Club in Coos Bay, Oregon).

Fabulous Husband made an appointment for me over in Lancaster with an audiologist to get the hearing aids fitted and reprogrammed for my particular hearing loss. When he called and inquired about the fee for reprogramming a pair of hearing aids, they told him it would cost $200.00.

We ran through the standard hearing test, I learned nothing new. However, I did ask if the hearing aids worked. The audiologist told me we would not know until the ear molds were made.

I had to have custom ear molds made with vents to keep the air flowing into my ears. I have chronic ear disease and this is a must. This pair of ear molds cost Fabulous Husband $175.00 on the spot.

When the ear molds were ready, we went back to begin the process of getting the donated hearing aids reprogrammed. We were absolutely ecstatic that I would soon be hearing better than I have been been with my old hearing aids. I have them turned all the way up these days. I desperately need more volume because I'm loosing clarity of sounds. I'm not able to distinguish words or sounds as well as I used to.

When we arrived, we were told that we had been quoted the incorrect fee for reprogramming the hearing aids. It would not be $200.00 for the pair, but $200.00 per hearing aid.  to reprogram both would be $400.00.

I saw a different audiologist at this appointment. He was very kind, and genuinely tried to do everything he could to get the hearing aids working. One did not work at all and would need to be sent in for repairs. That would cost an additional $200.00.

We tried the other hearing aid. It was awful. I could hear myself, it was fuzzy and barely could hear anyone else. The audiologist tried everything he could think of.  He was on the phone with the company helping with downloading the program, but nothing was working. I was beginning to think they just didn't believe me about how bad these were sounding. My old hearing aids were far clearer than this newer one.

The audiologist stepped around from behind the desk and asked if he could listen to one of my old hearing aids. I could tell by the surprised look on his face that he was not expecting such a difference between my old hearing aid and this much newer one. He picked up the phone and told the person from the company that makes these new hearing aids that my "about 15 years old" hearing aids were better than these newer ones.

It was suggested we send that hearing aid with the other one to be repaired, at a price of another $200.00.

The tally at this point for my donated hearing aids would be $200.00 repair per hearing aid = $400.00

Reprogramming each hearing aid would be $200.00 each  = $400.00

Hearing aid molds = $175.00 (they later refunded half of our money for these when we were in dispute)

Total = $975.00

No thank you. btw... those ear molds were NOT needed to test the functionality of the hearing aids. So we now had a pair of ear molds that were not going to be used at all. We spent $175.00 for nothing.

sigh..

As we were preparing to leave, they told us that a representative from Starkey Hearing Aids would be visiting their office the following week.  They suggested that the ear molds would work well with those. We thought it would be a good idea to at least check out the other technology.

The Starkey representative was VERY informative. I am losing my ability to understand or distinguish sounds I used to hear. My left ear has the same amount of loss as my right ear, yet my right ear distinguishes sounds better, although not perfect, and I have lost a serious percentage of that ability. The scientific name for losing the ability to distinguish sounds is "phonetic regression."

With a new pair of hearing aids and a training program, I would be able to train my brain to "hear" better and more accurately than my current condition.

At this point, we were told by the Starkey representative that I could try a demo pair of hearing aids. However, that was not the case. That was only if we paid in full for a new pair.

Fabulous Husband was told about a year ago that our insurance would reimburse him $800.00 per hearing aid. AFTER the purchase.

This day, we were told hearing aids are not covered because the online form posted on the insurance's website had the box unchecked. Fabulous Husband had the receptionist call the insurance company and they told her that hearing aids aren't listed on the website because they are a supplement. How many people have looked online to see if hearing aids are covered by insurance only to see they are not... not realizing that there is a supplement program and they must call the company in order to access the program.

Insurance companies need to be more forthright regarding hearing aid coverage, AND they need to provide coverage BEFORE people spend their retirement, or family vacation money for hearing aids just so they can hear and function in the hearing world.

DEAF TAX.  We have to pay a very steep price to take part in the hearing world, to experience what hearing people take for granted..daily.. (I'll step off the soap box now and get back to what happened next).

The cost of a NEW pair of hearing aids functional for EVERY part of my life would be $6,000.00.

SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS TO HAVE THE LUXURY  NECESSITY OF BEING ABLE TO HEAR.

So, that was that. No new hearing aids for me. We just spent and enormous amount last December flying home when my mother unexpectedly passed away. This is an expense I don't want to saddle my family with right now.

The ear molds are totally useless. They did refund us half of the money we spent for them. I am now the owner of a pair of absolutely useless ear molds.

Fabulous Husband had quite a bit to say over this entire process, how we were quoted one thing, and it end up being much more with each added $200.00 as we moved from one item to the next. He was also very upset that the first audiologist did not test the functionality of the hearing aids and told me they couldn't be tested without the ear molds. That was not true; they can test the functionality without the ear molds.

In addition to all of this, Fabulous Husband lost 2 days of work over this entire process.

I contacted the lovely person who donated these hearing aids, and she was "shocked, just shocked." They were in working order before she shipped them to me. She requested I return them so that she can send them to an organization that fixes and donates them to others who need them. I love that!

After our email convesation, I learned that someone from the audilogists office called and said they would reprogram the hearing aids and whatever else we needed for $200.00. That window is closed and quite frankly, that is not a hearing aid dispensary I ever want to return to because I have lost trust with them through this whole process.

If you need new hearing aids, be sure to ask your friends which audiologist they recommend. I wish I had gone to the audiologist in Mount Joy, PA, Dr. Debbie Frey,  who had helped me 2 years ago and from my symptoms knew I had another problem, and it wasn't related to my hearing loss. (read about that here: http://xpressivehandz.blogspot.com/2012/10/i-went-to-get-hearing-aids-and-found.html) She was booked up and I didn't want to wait that long to see her. 

TIPS WHEN VISITING THE AUDIOLOGISTS OFFICE

1. Go only to an audiologist that comes highly recommended by someone you know. Don't go to just a hearing aid dispensary, but go to an actual Doctor of Audiology. It was an astute audiologist, Dr. Debbie Frey who quite possibly saved my life.

2. Call your insurance company and don't just ask about hearing aids.. ask about the supplement program for hearing aids.

3. Ask for pricing BEFORE you make the appointment, and hold them to that quote. If they begin to tack on fees for every thing through the process, tell them you'll think about it and leave. Go compare prices.

4. Never go to the audiologist alone. Take a witness with you and have them jot down notes for you. They may come in handy later.

5. If you find a great audiologist, stick with them... even if you have to wait weeks, or longer to see them.











30 comments:

  1. Hello Joyce. Your experience with your "audiologist" does not surprise me. I have had many visits to them when my Father was alive. I have no respect for the term "audiologist". They should be called "hearing aid salesman". They are worse than car salesman however I have more respect for car salesman. The bottom line is when you must go to one you know you are going to get screwed. I am holding back my real feelings about them because I don't want to get into my experience's with "hearing aid salesman". I will not say things like they "suck" because I know that there must be a good "hearing aid salesman" somewhere in the world but I have never meet any. I am looking forward to seeing you in person to let you know my true feelings about "hearing aid salesman".

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  2. Neil, I'm sorry you never had a good experience with audiologists. There are some very good ones. It's a matter of finding them. Thank you for sharing your experience and your opinion. I'm looking forward to when we get together with you and Thai and discuss this further.

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  3. I had a good experience last week going to a big chain store that also sells hearing aids. The audioogists are on salary, not commission. The audiologist spent an hour and a half with me, tested my ears and my hearing aids, and said she had nothing that was better than my four-year-old aids. She did let me borrow the latest model for a weekend, and sure enough, they weren't any better. I returned them with thanks, no charge.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Bruce! I wonder why the newer hearing aids aren't of the same quality as the older, analogue hearing aids. I've heard that they are still being made and are available overseas. All we have to do is send in our audiogram. I would like to know more about that.

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  4. If you need hearing aids, probably the most important thing to determine your success with hearing aids is going to be the provider that you choose. Even more important than the exact hearing aid you choose is the hearing provider you choose, and for a number of reasons. It has been said that a good hearing aid dispenser working with an entry level hearing aid can get you better results than a poor hearing aid dispenser working on an excellent hearing aid- and we are inclined to agree. The most important part of getting hearing aids is the hearing provider you choose, and how well accustomed they are to the hearing aid they recommend and the hearing aid that will work best for you. There is so much to watch out for when choosing a hearing provider. Follow these tips to make sure you choose wisely.

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    1. I wish I could have seen Dr. Debbie Frey here in Mount Joy, PA, but she was booked up and it would have taken too long wait to get in. She is my first choice because of my earlier experience. Thank you for stopping by Hearing Test San Diego. I like that by clicking your name we are taking to that article.

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  5. Joyce,
    I am so sorry you had such a bad experience with this. Yes, I'm the person who sent you the hearing aids. I do have a wonderful audiologist here, and I have never had a bad one. I also have only had to purchase hearing aids once. the pair you received. Then I lost my hearing to the point they wouldn't work within months of buying them, so I was out thousands of dollars. No my insurance had no supplement on it.
    I am seeing my CI audiologist tomorrow and I'm curious about the hearing aids, so I'm going to have them checked out. I will let you know what I find out. I agree about never going to a hearing aid dispensary. My husband went to one just to have his ears checked out, and it was just a rip off, his hearing is fine....just a wellness check at his age, and because I felt he was saying "What?" to much. : ) I've never been treated that way at an audiologist that is affiliated with a reputable doctor. Maybe I'm just lucky. (or maybe it's because I go to Duke?)

    Everyone who needs hearing aids can learn from your experience. There are some things I wish I had known to ask when I got my hearing aids. If I would have needed them for a longer period, and if my hearing would have progressively gotten worse I would have needed a stronger pair. I would have liked to have known more questions to ask. like....about a t-coil? (I didn't even know what one was) and such....

    It is a shame that insurance doesn't help people more with hearing and seeing. Most do not cover hearing aids or glasses. I need both. I am legally blind without my glasses, they are very expensive. It is not a luxury, or cosmetic item. Why is certain cosmetic surgeries covered and yet we have to pay thousands to see and hear??

    ok...off that soap box. ; )

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    1. Wendy, I'm looking forward to finding out what you learn about the hearing aids. I'm glad they returned to you safely though the mail. Tcoils are a definite thing to ask about these days. Have you heard of "Let's Loop Seattle"? Seattle is one of the most accessible cities in the US on all counts for all disabilities. We've considered retiring there just for that reason. I totally agree, hearing and sight needs are not "cosmetic" or luxury..they are needs, and should be covered. Thank you for your kind, generous heart, Wendy.

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  6. I've been lucky so far, but too many places are just selling hearing aids at a large profit, and aren't really interested in helping people.

    I've never understood how hearing aids were not considered medical devices when you have to have a prescription to get them.

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    1. I'm glad you have been lucky so far! Marla, that is an excellent point. Why aren't hearing aids considered a medical device since you have to have a prescription to get them? hmmmmm

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  7. I have heard from some others how they thinks their older hearing aid was better than newer models. Its a worrying thing that and I wonder ow common this is amongst folk. Luckily as I have had new hearing aids I have found they have been ok for me and an improvement on my hearing loss to the ones I had before. Hopefully as years go down the line I don't find the same situation that I thought old ones were better than new ones.

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    1. Liz, I've only heard that from a few people. Most tell me they're quite happy with the way the new ones can be fine tuned to every area of their life. I think it's a matter if finding ones that work with each person's hearing loss. I hope you always have success. Technology is getting better all the time.

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  8. WOW!!!! You were taken! And it makes me wonder, how many repairs they would have done before they were fit to wear. Normally I believe a repair that has been done comes with a warranty of some sort. small warranty, but better then nothing. I donated an old aid to a friend, suggested who she see, she did, and I believe it cost 150.00 to repair. guess what, she is the proud owner of a hearing aid, first time wearer. and enjoy each day with a hearing ear! So exciting for her!!!

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    1. Hi, Becky

      What a kind thing you did - donating your old hearing aid to your friend! Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Becky.

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  9. This is crazy! My sister uses hearing aids. She, thankfully, has never had this happen to her. I think you are amazing, by the way. I can't imagine a world without my ears but you prove to me that I can do anything. http://www.uhac.ca/services/hearingaids.html

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    1. Guy, I'm so glad that your sister has never had this happen to her. Thank you for your kind words. btw... the link you shared isn't working,.. just so you know.

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  10. I had no idea that hearing aids were this expensive! My grandmother has used hearing aids for much of her life and has had some of the same struggles. It's hard to see her go through all the challenges of hearing impairment and have to fight tooth and nail financially on top of all of her health struggles. You are a trooper - thanks for sharing your experience! http://www.hearing.ca/hearingaids.php

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    1. Thank you for stopping by, Sergio. I'm sorry your grandmother has had to struggle as well. I'm hoping for things to improve for all of us in the near future.

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  11. Joyce, these are some really great tips. My father hearing has been getting worse and worse over the past few years. He is going to need a hearing aid pretty soon. The tips about asking about supplementary hearing program instead of hearing aids when calling insurance companies. It seems like there are a lot of options to chose from.
    http://www.lakeshoreparamedical.com/en/products_and_services.html

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  12. Thank you Rose. I hope your father has much success and ease when he goes in to begin the process of being fitted.

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  13. I am so sorry you had such a bad experience with this. Yes gladys

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    1. Thank you, Gladys. I'm grateful not all audiologists are like this. I've been fortunate to have had many good ones. Check out the post about my wonderful experience after that with Oticon and Cindy Lipman at http://xpressivehandz.blogspot.com/2014/09/my-return-to-sound-thank-you-oticon.html

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  14. Thanks for sharing your experience and tips regarding hearing aid desperation. We at Aurisbank offer dentist various audiology website design which can improve user engagement and help to understand the importance with 3D videos.

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    1. You're very welcome! Thank you for stopping by and leaving a kind comment.

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  15. Thank you for sharing your experience! As frustrating as it must have been for you, it's really nice to be able to learn from others' experiences rather than having to go through it yourself. I love what you said about sticking with a good audiologist when you find one. Constantly switching doctors is always a pain. My mom recently went in to get fitted for hearing aids. Hopefully she has a better experience! http://www.torontohearingservices.com/en/hearing_aids.html

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    1. Kelsey, I hope your mom has a better experience, as well. I've seen many good audiologists over the years, I suppose I was bound to have at least one experience like this along the way. It really made me appreciate the good ones I've had the opportunity to see. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

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  16. When you take, your hearing aids out for the night give the outside casing a quick wipe with a dry or slightly damp cloth to remove any wax or other deposits. Always turn the aids off before cleaning them.


    Andrew@BellmanSymfonPersonalAmplifiers

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    1. Excellent advice, Andrew. I hope all hearing aid dispensers share this information with their clients. All of mine have.

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  17. Later today I am going to be at the doctor's office to receive my hearing aids. These ones would be new and my second ones that the doctor has given to me. The only difference is that these new ones have also been customized and molded to fit my ears.

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    1. How exciting for you, Anonymous! I hope they work very well for you and that they last a long time and serve you well!

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