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John How · 10-21-2013, 10:18 AM

I use Bernafon Chronos9 aids that I bought at Costco for about $2600. Considering that no hearing aid is perfect or pleasant to use, mine are very definitely an improvement worth the money as I can now hear conversation as well as the TV. I probably would not have spent the money if it had been twice that amount so I am grateful to Costco for making these available at reasonable prices.

gruelens · 10-25-2013, 02:06 AM

I did extensive homework before I pulled the trigger on a hearing aid purchase. I also procrastinated over twenty years. In talking with others, there has been considerable improvements in technology over the last 5-10 years.

Three months ago I purchased a pair of hearing aids at Costco. The 50 some bucks for membership is a small price to pay for the large savings and good service they provide. If you are not near a Costco and don't plan to be then you may be at the mercy of the others and it will cost you thousands more. I am very pleased with my experience so far using Costco for hearing aids. Mine were $2600 for the pair. They are the best behind the ear model offered by Costco. The same thing at a regular hearing aid store would have been over 6 Grand. If you would like specific info please private message me.

I believe Costco has 3 brands available: Costco brand, Resound (what I got), and another name brand (senior moment). Costco gives 90 day trial with 100% refund, free cleaning and programming, 2 year loss and damage coverage (one time only), and 3 year repair warranty along with dirt cheap batteries (40 for 9 bucks). Costco rep told me after 3 years if repairs are needed just bring them in, buy an extended warranty for $135 on the spot, and we fix them. I used an Oregon Costco location with no sales tax.

It is amazing how much noise everyone makes now. My motorhome is no longer the whisper quiet coach to drive. No more peace and quiet but it surely has improved my quality of life and my wife's too.

wa8yxm · 10-25-2013, 11:00 AM

I too wonder about the super high cost of them which I encountered when assisting my M-I-L.

Sharper Image sells a disposable or two (one is prescription only) for far less than the amount you mentioned, This is a very small unit that fits in the ear but it is not a "Concealed" type.

And there are other companies that make low cost as well.

The more expensive ones (Including to a lesser extend the Sharper Image) have digital signal processing, they can be "Custom Tailored" by your audiologist to assist only on frequencies you need assistance on, in some cases they may have several equalization bands.. Some of them can distinguish to some extent between voice and noise and diminish the background.. And all this ability adds up.

But the thousands of dollars they charge is pure rip off in my book.

This is like the cost of meds.. Some drugs you pay as much as say 200 dollars for a month's supply.. Go to another country and pay 50 for the identical drug, made in the same factory, and from the same lot code.

Congress has given it issue lip service, but as of yet taken no real action, Even "Obamacare" And "Romney care" (Obama care is a much wordier version of the MA. Affordable health care act.) does not address this issue.

Some insurance companies are working on it though, after all, it is THEIR money they are saving.

Alan_Hepburn · 10-25-2013, 06:07 PM

My first hearing aids were Miracle Ear, and I don't recall the cost other than I wondered how people on a fixed income could afford them. My second and third sets were from Costco and while they were a bargain compared to Miracle Ear they were still expensive. Back then an extended warranty from Costco was $75 and you didn't have to buy it until you needed it. Then I went back to Miracle Ear for a set and they matched the Costco price - it was still $5200 for the set!

My current ones are from the VA - cost me $50 for the office visit. They are identical to the ones from Costco and Miracle Ear - made by Siemens. The VA also supplies me with batteries for free - all I do is send in a postcard when I need batteries and they send me a box with a year's supply of batteries.