Cost remains one of the most significant barriers to hearing aid uptake. At an average price of $4,000 a pair, hearing aids are prohibitive to many who need them. But what exactly determines hearing aid price, and why is there such a wide range?
Should People Buy Hearing Aids Online or In Person?
The audiologist’s job is to educate you on your hearing loss and treatment options. A very important factor in successful hearing aid use is the provided follow-up care.
Myths and More About Buying Hearing Aids
The paper reports that its survey found 75 percent of respondents elected to go to an audiologist for hearing healthcare services compared with 20 percent visiting a hearing instrument specialist.
OTC Hearing Aids—Will People Buy Them?
The report showed 84 percent of the survey’s 1,037 participants expressed discomfort with the idea of shopping for direct-to-consumer (over-the-counter) hearing aids and a preference to pursue their acquisition through a hearing healthcare professional.
Think You Need Hearing Aids? Here’s Where to Start
Here’s our guide to what to consider when starting out with hearing aids, from what to expect and what to ask about, to what all those initials mean after a hearing care provider’s name.
It’s Mid-October, Where Are We With OTC Hearing Aids?
The FDA set October 17 as the date for the introduction of over-the-counter hearing aids. So far a mix of startups, major tech companies, big box stores, and existing hearing aid makers are jumping into the new market.
OTC Hearing Aids: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
OTC hearing aids will be sold both in-person and online, and it is critical that you educate yourself and, as with any purchase, weigh the benefits and drawbacks.
A Look at the Business of Selling Hearing Aids
As a former retailer, I think if electronic marvels like smartphones or smartwatches could be profitably sold at a fraction of the price of the average pair of hearing aids, someone somewhere had to be making a bundle while serving the needs of people with hearing loss.
A Hearing Care Consumer’s Thoughts on OTC Hearing Aids
Logic would seem to say Americans, especially the young and seniors, will opt for OTC devices. On the other hand, logic does not seem to apply when comparing current adoption statistics from other countries where hearing aids are steeply discounted or even free.
Hearing Aids Coming Over the Counter to You
“Establishing this new regulatory category will allow people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss to have convenient access to an array of safe, effective, and affordable hearing aids from their neighborhood store or online,” the FDA said.