In any purchase, cost is always a factor. And with an unfamiliar product like hearing aids, it can be challenging to know how you should evaluate the price you’re quoted. Sometimes, there’s a lot that goes into it. And other times, it’s the opposite and there’s NOT a lot that comes with the “cheaper” price you see. Dr. Natalie McKee, Au.D. has years of experience helping patients understand the landscape of hearing aid pricing, and she shares some great tips in this helpful overview. Watch more Q&As, then schedule your appointment with us at either our Bloomington or Pontiac locations.
Kyle in Pontiac asks, “How would I know if the hearing aid price I’m quoted is too expensive?” That is something we deal with every day, and a lot of it comes down to delivery model. The first step in coming to see us is the initial exam and consultation. The second step, if you do have hearing loss, is a personal consultation where we go over what your concerns are, what your lifestyle is like, and then we present what the market options are, and what you think you may like. Then there’s the fitting itself, and that first appointment is the longest. It’s usually 60-90 minutes where we get the settings the way they should be, teach you how to use it, how to do upkeep and maintenance, charge it, connect it to your phone, all the accessories you may have chosen to go with it. Then there are consecutive follow-up appointments that we schedule to review things, make adjustments, fine tune, and answer your questions. Then you move into what we call the maintenance period. And so when pricing structures are created, you have to take all of those things into account. In our office, we like to just make it a pay-as-you-go system, and therefore you have charges along the way. We’re happy to explain all of those as we go. So price can drive a lot of decisions when it comes to this choice, and I think a lot of people are probably going to want to consider over-the-counter hearing aids because of this. They are naturally cheaper, but you have to understand that you’re missing out on those initial consultations, advice, and then also follow-up care and maintenance. So if finances are a concern, or if you’ve been quoted for a product that you aren’t sure about, feel free to reach out to a second opinion audiologist. We’d be happy to do that for you. Or work with an audiologist that does have a structured pricing system so you feel more comfortable as you move through the process. Hope that helps! If you have more questions, be sure to reach out to us. I’m Dr. Natalie McKee from Bloomington-Normal Audiology, and we’re ‘hear’ for you.