One of the most common obstacles to acquiring hearing aids is their very high cost. These devices are remarkable and can literally transform a life; they help millions of people facing hearing loss worldwide. However, for many, a price tag that climbs to several thousand dollars can make their purchase impossible.
If you're exploring different options to find the best hearing aid for you, here's everything you need to know to decipher prices and understand the market.
You are not alone
A disability like hearing loss can affect every aspect of your life. Hearing is not just a personal experience that influences your enjoyment of music or television; it's also a deeply social experience.
The pace of daily life is not naturally designed for people with disabilities, and the learning curve associated with losing a sense as essential as hearing is immense. So know that you are not alone and that people care about you.
At CLARIA, our founder created the company for a simple reason: his family members with hearing loss couldn't find an effective and affordable over-the-counter solution. Millions of people suffer from hearing loss in the United States, and our mission is to provide a solution, not another problem.
Not all hearing aids are created equal
No two people are alike, and as unique as each person is, their hearing needs are just as unique. The world of hearing aids is vast: many formats, models, advantages, and disadvantages. A simple Google search will undoubtedly bring up millions of options, between manufacturers, ENTs, audiologists, and opinion articles. So what do you need to know about hearing aids to make an informed and intelligent decision?
At CLARIA, we are committed to producing high-quality, universal over-the-counter hearing aids that you can get for less than two hundred dollars. But before delving into the pros and cons of over-the-counter versus prescription hearing aids, let's look at what hearing loss is.
Hearing Loss: What You Need to Know
In summary, hearing loss has different degrees of severity. It is important to know this and to know the degree that concerns you. This information will help you choose the right direction in your search for hearing aids and justify your financial commitment.
Hearing loss is characterized by an elevated hearing threshold, expressed in decibels. A person with normal or healthy hearing generally has a threshold close to zero. In other words, they actively perceive almost all sounds. Sound propagates as sound waves, at particular frequencies and decibel levels. Decibel can be seen as the power or force with which a sound wave travels.
This explains why some sounds are very faint and discreet while others are naturally loud and bright. When a person hears normally, they perceive various sounds at different decibel levels.
When hearing begins to decline, the hearing threshold rises. For example, moderate hearing loss corresponds to an inability to hear sounds between 20 and 40 decibels. This includes normal, soft-spoken conversations. A person with moderate hearing loss would have difficulty conversing in a noisy environment.
Knowing the degree of hearing loss you suffer from can be very helpful when buying hearing aids.
The type or format of the hearing aid indicates its power: knowing that your hearing loss is mild can therefore be good news if it allows you to choose a more affordable option with less processing power. Conversely, knowing that your hearing loss is more severe may justify a greater financial commitment to more expensive models.
Hearing Aids Not Covered by Medicare/Medicaid
According to the official government website, you probably know that Medicare and Medicaid cover absolutely nothing of the cost of hearing aids, nor the examinations needed to obtain them. The total bill can therefore quickly become substantial. In reality, the hearing aids themselves do not represent the largest portion of the expenses.
There are medical consultations, ENTs, and the multiple tests audiologists perform to establish your audiograms and diagnosis. This process can cost thousands of dollars, and what's more, most private insurance still does not cover care and treatment related to hearing loss.
As hearing loss is one of the most widespread disabilities in the American population, it is eligible for certain financial aid through social security. However, this aid remains limited to people with moderately severe hearing loss or those who have had a cochlear implant for more than a year.
Hearing aids: Prescription or over-the-counter
When comparing hearing aids and deciding which one to buy, keep your needs in mind. A prescription hearing aid, for example, comes with a very high price tag, but it will be custom-made for your ear and programmed to your precise needs.
If your hearing loss is more severe, prescription hearing aids are undoubtedly the best option to regain your hearing.
Over-the-counter hearing aids do not offer the ability to be programmed exactly to your needs. Nor are they custom-molded to your ear.
However, they have the advantage of helping you hear better without costing you thousands of dollars. Our universal model comes with a satisfaction guarantee, and our sound technology filters out unwanted background noise to help you hear what matters most to you.
Now let's look at the different types of hearing aids you can buy and the advantages their differences offer.
Hearing aid style: Behind-the-ear
There are two main hearing aid styles, and within each, different models or variations. These styles are very simple: the first is a device designed to fit both in the ear canal and behind the ear.
The behind-the-ear style includes several types of hearing aids, but they all share the same advantage related to their shape: it is the most voluminous style, the one that can accommodate the most technology.
This extra space for electronics and the battery makes this option an excellent choice for more severe hearing loss. For a person with moderate to severe hearing loss, it is generally the only hearing aid style available.
Hearing aid style: In-the-ear
The other main style is in-the-ear. This can be a hearing aid that sits in the concha of the ear or one that fits directly into the ear canal. These devices are among the smallest hearing aids on the market.
CLARIA EV1 and EV3 hearing aids are among the smallest over-the-counter hearing aids currently available.
This reduced size has the advantage of being discreet. It's easy to buy hearing aids that you wear without being noticed. The downside, however, is that they don't have the space needed for the processing power of the behind-the-ear style. They are therefore an excellent choice for people with milder hearing loss.
Conclusion
Only you know what decision is best for your hearing journey. If you have questions about the severity of your hearing loss, consult your doctor. The benefits of prescription hearing aids come at a considerable cost, several thousand dollars. However, this may be justified in your case.
However, depending on your level of hearing loss, you could get the same excellent benefits with an over-the-counter option, and save thousands of dollars.
Sources:
Construction Noise Pollution | nationalgeographic.org
Hearing Aid Coverage | medicare.gov
Hearing loss and deafness: Normal hearing and impaired hearing - InformedHealth.org | NCBI Bookshelf
How to Qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits with Hearing Loss | deafactioncenter.org
Quick Statistics About Hearing | NIDCD
