Hearing Aid Practitioner employed at Costco…Ask Me Anything!

Can you tell me the different type of custom molds that are available through costco? I want a medium soft mold with adjustable vents but I don’t know what to ask for when I’m there.

The person who started this thread isn’t around.

PLEASE CONSIDER THIS THREAD DEAD

So I can get a Siemens 7PX with a CROS system at Costco? And Costco has an audiologist?

You can get a Rexton version under the Costco Signature brand that is similar to the Signia 7px. Depends on the particular Costco whether they will have an audiologist or hearing aid specialist. And I doubt you can get CROS there, but don’t know.

I am going to be purchasing hearing aids for the first time, and I’d like to know the advantages, disadvantages, and reliability of rechargeable hearing aids before I decide whether to get those or the regular battery operated ones. Has anyone had them for a while?

When is it time for hearing aids?

I am in my 30s, So I have mild to moderate loss. Below 3khz is 25 to 35 dBHL and 3khz and above is 40 to 50 dBHL at the worst. The audiologist suggested it was time to get hearing aids. But I really cant trust them as far as I can throw them. Because they are like used cars salespeople. Most of them anyway.

I would like hearing aids if they would offer noticeable improvement. I dont think my hearing is that bad, but I do have issues with people not talking clearly. It can be hard to understand people in noisy places. Ok, maybe I could use them. but I would like to see what everyone has to write about it.
So when is time for Hearing aid? I might have to fight insurance on this one.

It’s not the people who aren’t speaking clearly; it’s your ears. Your hearing is worse than mine under 3000 hz (that’s where most speech is) and mine make a lot of difference with understanding my daughter. I have no idea what insurance will cover, but the only way you’re going to know if hearing aids help is to try them out.

Well I already have trouble understanding people, in noisy places like work the most. I notice that its easier to understand people when there is very little background noise. But I often miss what people say.

I also think might have auditory processing disorder cause ADHD and dyslexia and speech issues that I needed a speech therapist in middle and high school. Also the I tend to talk very monotone, well at least I used to, I been working on it. which doesnt help things if I do.

@Volusiano said:

Not sure why you have to fight the insurance on this one. They either have coverage or they don’t.

I have coverage, I checked. $3k @ 80% every 3 years but idk they seem to fight me on everything.

@gamma said:

I have coverage, I checked. $3k @ 80% every 3 years but idk they seem to fight me on everything.

Yeah, sometimes they have a R&C (reasonable and customary) clause on their coverage if the coverage doesn’t have a cap on the price of the HA. For example, my coverage is 95% but there’s no cap on 95% of “how much”, so you don’t really know what kind of HAs you can buy and for how much until it gets submitted to them and they decide whether if your submission is reasonable and customary or not. And usually the purchase contract says that if the insurance company doesn’t pay their part of the bill, then you’ll be left holding the bag for that amount, unless you’re still within your trialing period where you can return the HAs. So you gotta be extra careful there when insurance coverage is involved. But it looks like you do have a cap of $3K so perhaps your situation may be simpler.

WOW - you guys are incredibly lucky to get insurance coverage for aids! Here it is such a necessary appliance for me, but I’ve been on my own paying out-of-pocket with Anthem BC & BS since the git-go. I just accept my fate and PAY - cuz the insurance policy states in bold: NO COVERAGE FOR HEARING AIDS - AT ALL - EVER!

But to comment on your initial observation of wondering if aids are worth a try - I’d say GO FOR IT! One of the most valuable features on my older pair of ITE aids (Oticon Agil Pros) is that I have a program dedicated to hearing in noisy environments. This includes: malls, stores, airplanes, concerts, restaurants, noisy gatherings, on and ON! These aids are SUPERB at cutting out the background noise and letting my brain and ears focus on folks in front of me. Yes, I may miss the bartender 3 feet behind me ask, “Any more refills, ma’am?” But that is unimportant compared to hearing better than folks with NO aids in these noisy situations. In fact, my old Agil Pros still do a better job hearing in noisy places than my brand new Oticon Opn aids. So I wear them BOTH as needed. Best of all worlds.

You have zero to lose and EVERYTHING to gain by trying out aids! You have insurance coverage, an acknowledged need, and would get a trial period to see if this is the route you want to go. Let us know what you decide.

@gamma said:

I did the math, with deductible. I am looking for max benefit 4200 with me putting down 600 copay and 600 deduct, and them 3k. or max benefit 3600 with no deductible. Anything above these is out of my pocket at that point. So 4200 for 1200 co pay with duc. and 600 copay for 3600 no duc. Not bad. Assuming that I can get them at a resonable price.

@1Bluejay said:

Chitownbarb:

The rechargeable batteries may also wear down over time, too, as most rechargeable devices need to be used till drained, then charged up again. That whole scenario is simply unacceptable to me with my hearing loss - like I’m going to take my aids out in the middle of the day, walk around deaf as a brick for a couple hours while they charge up? Nope.

So lithium ion batteries is actually harmful to discharge them. They dont get battery a charging pattern like older battery tech. its actually better to have them charged than drained. 80-90% is where they like it the best.

And I dont know why companies start making rechargeable swappable battery units. I mean how hard is it to make a slight extension on the BTE models that replaces the battery door… Like 100 bucks more for each(cause this is hearing aids we are talking about. … then again you can find plenty of deals for button batteries.

@1Bluejay said:

WOW - you guys are incredibly lucky to get insurance coverage for aids! Here it is such a necessary appliance for me, but I’ve been on my own paying out-of-pocket with Anthem BC & BS since the git-go. I just accept my fate and PAY - cuz the insurance policy states in bold: NO COVERAGE FOR HEARING AIDS - AT ALL - EVER!

You have zero to lose and EVERYTHING to gain by trying out aids! You have insurance coverage, an acknowledged need, and would get a trial period to see if this is the route you want to go. Let us know what you decide.

Well It seems I have to fight my insurance company on a lot of things. So its not always rainbow on my end. It took 2 months to get a pre auth on double the max dose for estrogen patches.

So if I get a pair, I really want to see if the audiologist has a cheap demo pair I can test drive for a few weeks just to see the level of improvement I can get. I know that the cheap pair wont offer as much as the mid or high end, but it can give me an idea of the benifit. to see if I really am ready for them.

Seeing we’re in the Costco thread, Costco only demo aids inside the store. No outside use. You can take a friend along and chat or talk to the people doing the demos to get an idea.