Need help with hearing aids

The only reason I ever put my VA issued ReSound HAs in is to hear the grandkids with their high pitched voices when family is together and lotsa people are talking.

Tested the HAs with music, both listening and playing flutes some years ago.
You can EQ them but it's always pitiful at best.

The positive side of HF hearing loss is not hearing drummers who ride their cymbals too much and when listening to operatic sopranos practice.

I went to an ear Dr. for an audiology test and was told I needed aids. He recommended ones that were over $6,000.00. I tried them for a week, but declined to buy them.
On a whim I went to the VA and they did the audiology test also. Said I needed aids and the VA would provide them. Got Phonaks, just like what the ear Dr. wanted to sell me. I had to pay $50.00 for them, and get batteries and other replaceable items when needed for free. Had to have one repaired, and lost one or the other twice. No charge for replacement or repair.
I don't wear them very often and the Wife gets angry when she has to repeat things to me . I'm eligible for a new pair now, but haven't gone in to get them.

Medicare

ServiceGun said:

My Mom is 88 and needs hearing aids.

She's been fighting it for years but finally realizes she needs them.

Problem is her favorite doctor told her professionally fitted hearing aids are unnecessary, over the counter is cheaper and as good, and thus she refuses to go to an ear doctor.

Can anyone recommend an inexpensive set of hearing aids?

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I am on Medicare. I have a Med Advantage plan through Aetna.
No premium.
They cover up to $2000 per ear, for hearing aids.
Over the counter aids compared to quality custom fitted aids, a like comparing a Pinto to a Shelby Mustang.
Good, properly fit hearing aids, will change her world.
She will not regret the time and effort invested in the correct hearing aids for her.

Best,
Gary

Chubbo said:

This thread has struck an open nerve with me.

Give the hearing aids much thought. Consider all the aspects. I'm in the third year, of trying to use my last pair of hearing aids, from a highly rated Company, that is known for their superior technology, but after making countless trips to their technicians, for help, they still can't make 'em work. This company is totally lacking in beneficial customer Service. Having paid $7,000+ for those unusable Hearing aids, I've hesitated to trash can 'em, but may just decide to do it.

Over a long period of time, I've purchased several pairs of my company's, most expensive hearing aids, and they must consider me, their most gullible patsy.

The bottom line is, do your research!

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So what brand are you talking about. It would be a great help to know. Your comments are valid but not helpful if you don’t let us know. And that doesn’t mean that you are badmouthing them.

OLDSTER said:

What ?? Please repeat that Seriously, my MIL is 94 and has been very happy with Miracle Ear.

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My dad got a pair from Miracle Ear and was happy with them. They were over $4,000, but it was worth being able to hear.

He used cheap ones for years and they never really helped.

I second Costco. My first pair where from Costco. Then on my second pair (because I had met my $5000 deductible) I had to go to their recommeded hearing aid specialist. The hearing aids were over $6K compared to Costco $1300. The hearings aids are great (phonak) but trips for minor service that was free at Costco are costly at the independent doctors.

However things I have learned. The longer you wait to buy hearing aids once your hearing begins to degrade the less hearing aids help. The brain interprets what it hears. So accents are hard to interpret. Background noise pretty much over rides what the person across the table is saying. People that have bad experiences with hearing aids expect too much. You will never, ever hear what you did when you where 35. I still watch TV with close captioning turned on. Another big help is buying bluetooth head phones where the transmitter plugs into the TV's RCA jacks. Head phones & CC make watching TV understandable.

I've also looked at over the counter (actually over the internet) hearing aids for a back up pair when mine need service. A decent set (not what you buy at Cabelas) still cost $600~800. So the op of the line Costco hearing aids seem a better deal. Costco does have cheaper hearing aids.

My hearing aids

meaneyedcatz said:

So what brand are you talking about. It would be a great help to know. Your comments are valid but not helpful if you don’t let us know. And that doesn’t mean that you are badmouthing them.

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Several factors caused my impulsive, vindictive reply to this thread.
At that time, I’d been without the use of my ‘aids’ for 2 weeks+, while waiting for their repair.

My ‘aids’ have a lifetime guarantee, and the highest technological rating in the hearing aid industry. That guarantee, gives the owner the right to return their 'aids', for repair, as often as the owner likes.

I’m a bit reluctant to give the brand, as my money is invested, and I must still deal with that co. Research might reveal the brand of my ‘aids’.

After a 2 week+ wait, I just received my ‘aids’ after their last rebuild, at the US, factory. If I were to tell the blunders, and mistakes made by the factory, involved in that, rebuild, no-one, would believe me. My highly skilled, poorly supplied local, repair, technician, made my ‘aids’ usable, according to my capability. My son helps when I get confused, by all the technology.

The bottom line is; Hearing aids can only aid, faulty hearing, and can't replace normal hearing.

I've had the "entry level" Rextons from Costco for a couple of years (about $2100 Cdn.) and they've been pretty good. The only problem was getting the "Listening to music" program set up, which is a whole 'nuther level of complexity, but it's more or less OK. (I'm talking about listening over speakers, not streaming music into the aids, which poses more challenges.) These use #312 button batteries in a tearddrop-shaped unit behind the ear and a miniature transducer that fits in the ear. I find the batteries last about a week, although I don't wear the aids every day. I have some HF loss in both ears and about -15dB loss of sensitivity in the right ear. The latter was the clincher in getting aids.

From the comments above, it seems the biggest problem is having a really qualified technician set them up. There is absolutely NO excuse to pay really big bucks and be let down by shoddy tech support. If the local Costco has a good tech, the OPs mum should have few problems.

The procedure for me was to get an audiogram, then Costco sent that to the Rexton (SIvantos) lab, who pre-programmed the aids, then the Costco tech refined that by essentially doing a reading test; he read some text andI could tell him what I wanted him to adjust. In my case I felt the pre-programmed EQ was far too bright and "hot" so he toned it down.

Being a retired musician, I may upgrade mine to a pair suitable for music, although they will be more expensive, and I'll have to make sure the tech is thoroughly familiar with the subtleties of setting up aids for music.

For the OP's mom, one consideration may be her manual dexterity. Does she suffer from arthritis? If so, changing batteries could be a challenge. It's also occasionally necessary to brush wax from around the domes in which the aids sit, as well as the openings through which the sound emerges.

This probably doesn't help the OP but:

I have read several times that hearing aids will soon become much cheaper and that you will be able to buy quality "aids" direct and not have to go to an audiologist.
Or it may be that in the future you'll go to an audiologist and get a "prescription" and get it filled yourself.
This is much like prescription eyeglasses. I now buy my progressive lensed, high index glasses for $110 instead of the $600 that the ophthalmologist and optometrist try to charge.

I got a set of the MD brand advertised in American Rifleman magazine.
They work fine for me. The voices on TV sounded like mumbling and
the aids have cleared it up considerably. However your Mom's success
would depend on her specific problem. I don't think the inexpensive
aids solves all problems.

Jeff423 said:

I have read several times that hearing aids will soon become much cheaper and that you will be able to buy quality "aids" direct and not have to go to an audiologist.
Or it may be that in the future you'll go to an audiologist and get a "prescription" and get it filled yourself.
This is much like prescription eyeglasses. I now buy my progressive lensed, high index glasses for $110 instead of the $600 that the ophthalmologist and optometrist try to charge.

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The problem with cheaper, online or OTC aids will be setting them up to correct for your particular hearing loss, unless it is simple enough that a somewhat generic solution will work. The Rexton rep told me that the software they use to adjust the EQ is not proprietary and not all that expensive, although the interface box (USB- Bluetooth) isn't cheap. I'm not sure how many folks can/want to wrestle with 1/3-octiave EQ. But who knows- there may be a simpler process available.

As to glasses, I have a similar prscription to yours by the sound of it. I jusr got a new prescription at Costco which cost me I think about $400 (~$315 USD). When I got my previous pair (also Costco) I get a second pair from Zenni for about $100. My gf gets all hers from Zenni and just got a couple of sets or her mother as well. But this time my prescription had changed enough that Zenni apparently couldn't fill it On principle, I am increaslingly less and less inclined to buy Chinese-made stuff, though. Like people on another thread on the Lounge about the new Malco Eagle Grips (ex Vice Grips) I prefer to buy or find used US-made tools when possible.

Re oddshooter's comment about the HA industrybeing a monoply, I don't doubt it. The optical industry certainly is, owned more and more by Luxottica. Several years ago Lesley Stahl did a "60 Minutes" segment entitled, "Why are my glasses so expensive" which I think is still available online. "A bit of an eye-opener", as they say.

Like anything else you get what you pay for. My last pair cost $5K, the ones before that I got at Costco for probably less than $2K. Hearing aids start to fall apart after 5 years and repairs get expensive. I've checked out the online "cheap" hearing aids and you get what you pay for. Top of the line hearing aids have a lot of technology built in. Background noise reduction, bluetooth, adaptive, remote adjustment, etc. When you price the better "cheap" ones online and get all the bells and whistles the price begins to approach the low end Costco brand. It also depends how bad your hearing is (I'm cannot understand ordinary speech under the best circumstances without them). As you take away the bell and whistles the price drops. If you hearing is just a little off cheap ones will probably work great. I just bought a pair for $130 mail order as backups. Haven't got them yet but they have a 90 day return policy so we'll see.

TV sets today have really terrible speakers. Even with hearing aids I need to have the CC on. One thing that works wonders, especially for people with mild hearing loss, is Bluetooth head phones where the transmitter plugs into the TV. Only about $100. You can keep the volume at normal for the other people watching the TV and crank up the headphone volume so you can understand whats; going on.

Costco.......licensed audiologists and choice of different brands ....I chose Rextons and can fine tune them with an app on my phone if needed .....couldn't be more pleased

Batteries

nocents said:

Costco.......licensed audiologists and choice of different brands ....I chose Rextons and can fine tune them with an app on my phone if needed .....couldn't be more pleased

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And, those that shop Costco, know the battery prices there, are the best you will find. And a word about rechargeable batteries. With a little planning, you can always have batteries available. Not so with an electrical source for recharging.
Best,
Gary

I ordered some from Walmart that come with an app for your Apple or Android phone that basically does a hearing test just like the audiologist would do (I know, I've had 3 of them in the last couple of months). Once you complete the hearing test in the app, it then "tunes" the aids based on the test results.

Here are the ones I ordered
EarCentric Hearing EarCentric Rechargeable Hearing Aids Disco MAX
I ordered them through Walmart rather than directly from the EarCentric web site because
1) They have a 30 day no questions asked satisfaction guarantee.
2) If I don't like them returns will be very easy - Walmart is just about 2 miles down the road
3) They were nearly $350 cheaper through Walmart and
4) I was able to use $77 of that savings to buy a 4-year extended warranty/service plan from Walmart - and again, the Walmart is right down the road.

One of the features I liked best about them is that although they are rechargeable, the batteries are in a removable "battery module" that can be removed and swapped with a freshly charged one. They even come with a PAIR of extra battery modules! Plus the charger can charge both the units AND both of the spare battery modules all at the same time. Pretty neat idea - and a feature I haven't even seen on any of the high end hearing aids. Though I'll bet a lot of them will end up adding a similar feature.

My order arrived about a week after I placed it and was waiting for me when I got home from work around 4pm. I unpacked them and they were already fully charged so I proceeded to set them up and configure them to match my hearing loss.

Right out of the box they were turned up to 80% of max volume and set for the "average" person's hearing loss. I made the mistake of trying to use the "semi-open" ear canal tips and got some serious feedback squeal. No fun.

So, I swapped the tips to the "closed" type that completely close off the ear canal and that prevented there being any more feedback issues. I connected them to my phone and ran the hearing tests and the app configured them with no problems. When it was all said and done I only needed them set to a volume level of 40%-50% of max.

I then swapped back to the "semi-open" style tips that don't completely block the ear canal in order to allow some sound to bypass the hearing aids directly into your ears for you to hear it normally. No more feedback.

The Bluetooth phone app is pretty cool. Each hearing aid can be adjusted for overall volume level in 10 steps, and each one also has 5 frequency ranges that can each be individually adjusted for gain in 10 steps. All the steps are marked as 0% to 100%. So that is nearly 10 million possible frequency mixes plus the 10 settings for overall volume. The volume for each hearing aid can be adjusted individually or you have the option to "link" them together so that the volume and mode changes on both are adjusted simultaneously using one control.

Additionally there are 4 separate "mode" settings that tailor the output by changing the the way the digital signal processor takes input from the dual microphones to adjust to the environment. The modes are:
1) Conversation (conversation with low background noise)
2) Restaurant (conversation with high background noise)
3) Traffic (stable background droning noise)
4) Outdoors (windy & noisy)

I've been wearing them 3 weeks now and am really impressed with these! I can hear all kinds of things I haven't heard in years - if ever. Even regular sounds that I hear every day are much clearer and more distinct because I'm hearing the high frequencies again. Wearing them when watching TV I only need to turn the TV volume up to 35 - and I've been listening to it at a setting of 50 for a long time. My car stereo sounds plenty loud when turned down to level 16 - and I've been listening to it at level 22-24.

My wife said something to me from the bathroom the other night - which is two rooms away - and I UNDERSTOOD HER the FIRST time! Without the usual "HUH?" followed by her repeating herself louder so I can understand. I can't remember the last time that happened! She was pretty pleasantly surprised too!

I've been wearing them all day every day - as much as 15 hours straight - and the phone app usually shows the batteries at about half charge still at the end of the day. I wanted to see how long the batteries would last on a charge. So, I wore them over 16 hours one day and then turned them off, but DIDN'T put them in the charger overnight.

I then put them in and wore them for over 6 hours the next day before they started giving a little beep-beep-beep about once a minute - telling me that the batteries were getting low. They were still working just fine, and the phone app showed they still had about 20% battery left, but I went ahead and swapped the battery modules anyway.

So, I got over 22 hours use out of them and probably could have got at least another hour or two if I really needed to. Their advertising copy says the batteries will "last up to 20 hours per charge" so they are definitely outperforming their specs.

After 3 weeks I am getting used to the combination of natural hearing (from sound getting through/around the semi-open tips) and boosted high frequencies which sound slightly "electronic". I'm sure that pretty soon I won't even notice the difference between tones I hear naturally and the ones that are augmented by the hearing aids.

For anyone wanting to take some hearing aids for a "test drive" without spending a fortune I highly recommend giving these a try. For less than $700 out the door, with a 30 day no questions asked return through Walmart, and coverage with a 4 year protection plan - also through Walmart, I can't see how you could possibly have anything to lose or how you could go wrong.

Having had all of the top end hearing aids, I can say without reservation that if you have a Costco in your area, then going to the audiologist and taking a prescription to Costco is the way to go. On the other hand, just go to Costco! Unless it’s fairly remarkable hearing loss, their tech’s get very by close to the same result.
When my mother needed hearing aids, she couldn’t work them anyway! Coming up on the last day to take them back, I return them and then we went somewhere else and started the process over, and at that point, we just gave up.
Thank you for looking after a parent! I encounter far too many lonely ones these days.

Hearing aids

My wife had excellent results with Costco, both for checking her hearing and buying Costco brand hearing aids. The hearing test is free.