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Cost of real ear measurements

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I just got a pair of Phonak Infinio 90 sphere hearing aids. I have been reading about real ear measurements and it sound like a good thing to do, but my audiologist (one of the few in the area that takes my insurance) wants $600 to perform it. When I asked if we could negotiate the price I was told their affiliated office charges $800, so by comparison I was getting a bargain. I called a few other audiologists and they don’t do them. I called an audiologist that was in a network hawked by one of the YouTube audiologists, who apparently all do , and the local person sells only Starkeys. Is it worth $600 to get the REM? I use power domes and have a bilateral 60db flat hearing loss.

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Costco sells aids for $1,600-$1,700 (bit more in CA) and includes with each during. $600 per REM session is excessive. It takes barely more time than adjusting aids without it. It may take many calls but it should be cheaper. Many academic centers have switched to unbundled pricing models so you may want to call those if accessible to you. One for example charges $218 for the initial fitting with REM and $145 for later adjustments. The initial fitting includes adjustments for some brief period. Those rates can be reduced by insurance or negotiating if cash pay (probably at least 30%).

Are the aids working well for you?

The sphere mode works exceptionally well in noise, amazing really. TV streaming is great. They are comfortable outside in traffic or even subway noise. one-on one conversations when not in sphere mode are still not ideal,but hopefully that can be tweaked. Despite claims about short battery life, it has so far not been close to an issue. After a full days use they still have 50% battery left.

I don’t know, they sound like they working for you. A lot depends on who is giving the - I have written before about how my first two REMs were a disaster because they were administered by people with little experience (I live in Europe). I had my third one done in London by an expert, but I wouldn’t pay $600, just sayin.

I may be in the minority here, but I would be very cautious about paying $600 for as a standalone service.

I’ve had REM before, and I understand why many people value it. But in my own case, the most useful improvements have come from careful real-world adjustments, repeated listening checks, and comfort/clarity tuning rather than simply chasing a measured target. Especially with recruitment or unusual hearing issues, matching a curve is not automatically the same as getting the best usable result.

For someone whose aids are already working very well, I’d first ask what specific problem the REM is supposed to solve and whether the provider will also adjust the aids based on the results. At $100–$200, maybe. At $600–$800, I personally would pass unless it included a much broader fitting package and follow-up care.

Attn: smc

Besides entering your , you should mention the city or area that charges $600 for so that we can avoid it, thank you

@smc I was in the same position as you are - I got used Spheres and wanted done. I’m in Vancouver, Canada.

I phoned Phonak-owned clinics - ‘Connect Hearing’ here in Canada. Most wanted to charge a flat USD $1200 ‘adoption fee’ for continued service beyond just doing REM.

When I pushed for unbundled pricing, one clinic quoted REM for USD $85 for each ear. Not bad. I was inclined to do it, but then another clinic told me that they charge the same USD $85 (CAD $120) for both ears.

Honestly, I though that was extremely reasonable, bordering on unsustainably cheap. But hey, I’m not complaining!

I would advise that you keep looking for other alternatives. It might also be worth asking if they offer hourly rates for their services. That removes the risk for the clinic that the appointment with you takes unexpectedly long.

In reply to @user490

@smc As I have posted here a few times, in New Jersey, hospital based audiology clinics I have inquired quote about $800. That included starting over with a new and re-fitting with the new audiogram using . The price also included a limited number of follow up visits, since REM gives you an enhanced starting point but not necessarily the final fit. Since I am a I have not pursued REM. BTW there is some extensive threads here on the benefits or non-benefits of REM

like everything else from audiologists seems to come bundled or in various combinations of packages and unbundled with require fees to become a patient. This makes it hard to compare services and prices.

One way to think of it is in the added service time and REM machine use time. The time isn’t much and so one REM session should not cost too much. Low volume audiologists may need to charge more but one can always find another practice if the price seems excessive.

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