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Your Budget:Your Choice
While technological and style choices take quite a bit of explaining, analyzing your budget is strictly under your control–and always should be. When selecting the appropriate hearing aid, the simplest advice we can offer is the following: Get the best hearing aid you can most reasonably afford. To take this a step further, you may not need the top-of-the-line instrument, but don't sell yourself short by getting the cheapest product available. When having your consultation with your hearing professional, you should not feel pressured into something you can't afford. You should request choices in regards to what might work for you, what we call the "good, better, best" options. "Good" is what would work adequately for you, but may not meet all of your needs. "Best" is what meets all of your needs without overshooting them. "Better", of course, is somewhere in between. The price of the hearing aids often reflects the technology they contain, and persons with more demanding listening situations and communication needs should focus on the higher level technology, whereas those with simpler, less complex needs will do fine with entry-level products.
Affordability on healthcare is a major issue. It only makes sense that you set your own premium on what you are willing to pay. Reliable, entry-level digital instruments with basic features start at about $800 each. Are there less expensive options? Yes. You may even see advertisements for cheap, $495 instruments, but this is often 30-year old technology. Worse yet are the $20 "as seen on TV" options. A reliable consumer protection publisher recently evaluated a variety of technology, including these cheap mail-order options and found that while the professionally fit products varied in regards to satisfaction, they could not recommend the TV/Mail-order options to anyone. Likewise, how can you rely on someone to provide you with quick and accurate follow-up services if you have to "mail it in"?
So, how can hearing aids be made affordable? Most offices, including Salem Audiology Clinic, have payment plan options, including 12-month no-interest financing, or long-term programs to get payments very low. With a low down payment, most instruments come into the affordability range utilizing these finance programs, bringing the cost of entry-level products down to less than what you'd pay for a daily cup of coffee (especially if you like a 20-ounce caramel latte from your local Seattle coffee brewer). Here is an example of the costs based on the two payment plans and five levels of technology, assuming a pair of hearing aids:
Price / Technology Level |
12-month, 0% Interest* |
48-month, 12.96% interest* |
$1,600 for two aids |
$117 per month |
$42 per month |
$2,800 for two aids |
$217 per month |
$78 per month |
$3,600 for two aids |
$283 per month |
$102 per month |
$5,000 for two aids |
$400 per month |
$144 per month |
$6,500 for two aids |
$525 per month |
$189 per month |
*Assumes $200 down payment, OAC, through CitiHealth Finance Plan.
Let's face it: hearing aids are not inexpensive, but they stand to make a significant improvement on your quality of life, and that is the goal. A portion of what you pay is for the instrument itself and a portion is for the ongoing service required to make them work well for you. Unlike most electronics, hearing aids do require ongoing service and maintenance. Normally, this comes at no or very little additional expense to you for as long as you have them. Using hearing aids is not like owning a VCR or television, but more like a tool utilized for physical therapy for rehabilitating your hearing. New users typically start off at volume levels 70-90% of where they ought to be so that they have the opportunity to get used to the amplification. Over time, a user will typically need more amplification, and therefore, need to come back for adjustments. It's more like lifting weights: the more you get used to them, the more amplification (i.e. weight) you add, until we eventually get you to 100%. So, follow-up is important and included in the cost. YOUR KEY FACTOR FOR SUCCESS IS MAKING SURE YOUR HEARING PROFESSIONAL FOLLOWS THROUGH ON SERVICE–AND THAT YOU ASK FOR IT.
The bottom line is that improvement in your quality of life, through better relationships with your friends, family, co-workers, and overall improvement in communication, will help to justify the cost of the hearing aids. Buyer's remorse results when you either believe you have spent too much, or you wished you had spent a little more to get the better product. Be honest in your answers when consulting with your hearing professionals, get the best solution you can most reasonably afford, and rely on us to give you the service and follow-up care that you need. Success will result.
