More than 5% of the world’s population, equivalent to 466 million people, have hearing loss. However, only 17% of people who could benefit from using a hearing aid actually wear one. Hearing aids are an important investment in your hearing health that can dramatically transform your quality of life. However, the cost can often be the reason behind someone not deciding to wear hearing aids, despite needing them. But it is possible to find an affordable hearing aid.
While there is now a wide choice of hearing aids on the market, an affordable hearing aid doesn’t always mean the best option for you. While you may save money on inexpensive hearing aids, you may be disappointed to find that the devices don’t function properly or work as you would like them to. A less-expensive hearing aid may not include the services of a hearing care professional who will assess your hearing requirements and fit and customize the hearing aid to meet your needs.
However, the most expensive hearing aids won’t necessarily provide you with the best results, either. The key is to find a good balance between what you need and what you can afford.
Even lower-priced hearing aids can seem expensive. It’s therefore important that you choose a hearing aid that provides good quality for your money. When buying hearing aids, you should look for:
The cost of hearing aids can vary greatly, depending on where you purchase them from. A branded store, hearing care professional or ENT office can all price hearing aids differently. However, the price of hearing aids can be considerably lower if you buy from university and hospital clinics. Other ways to find an affordable hearing aid include:
For $299 you can buy ‘hearables’ such as the Nuheara IQ Buds which look just like earbuds. While these aren’t hearing aids, they combine high-tech audio controls with amplification. They are also Bluetooth-enabled to stream music and phone calls to your ears while also reducing ambient noise and enhancing your ability to hear speech. They are generally better for people with very mild hearing loss and will only work when paired with a smartphone app.
Hearing aids purchased from a discount retailer such as Costco can see the price of hearing aids drop significantly to around $1,200 to $1,700. You will need to make an appointment to have a hearing test and audiogram. Hearing aids from retailers like this are also usually locked, so only the retailer can adjust them.
Leasing enables you to finance your hearing aids but without incurring interest charges. HearTek is one of many companies that offers this service, providing customers with access to all levels of technology at four payment levels:
Spreading the cost of hearing aids across a lease term of 30 months could enable you to finance a hearing aid up to the cost of NZD 7,800.
Buying hearing aids online can see the price fall considerably. However, in most cases, hearing aids purchased online don’t come with much, if any, professional support. For $699 per pair, iHearMedical requires you to send your audiogram and they will pre-program your hearing aids. Any adjustments you require to your hearing aids will have to be done yourself, which may not be accurate.
Hearing aids are essential for millions of people living with hearing loss. When you are buying a hearing aid, your main goal should be to help improve your lifestyle, overcome the daily challenges of hearing loss and to find a device that is best for you. With time, effort and research, you should find an affordable hearing aid that helps you do this and look forward to good hearing health.
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