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Will audiologists reset hearing aids for a new user?

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@user92 said:

A professional who I pay for what is supposed to be an independent objective opinion, then primarily relying on selling me the solution to the problem they identify for their income…

That is one advantage for Costco. Their hearing professionals are paid a fixed wage with no commission on sales.

A few phone calls before you buy the aids will answer your question. I’m not about to tell you what an audiologist will or won’t do

In reply to @prodigyplace

Prodgyplace:

Exactly…Costco/Sams/Ebay are much closer to a rational business model.

I am a (retired) engineer. It is a basic tenant (not always observed) of my profession that I do not overtly make my living from my clients buying a suggested solution from me. My job is to give them independent/objective information…and they should then go out a find a suitable solution…I don’t build bridges or install fire systems. I provided basic information to help a client decide what they might need or want.

In my “perfect” world, an audiologist would never sell .

Obviously this model does not work for all situations. A dentist is a good example. However, I find dentistry to be a healthy competitive business model in most cases. In my small community I have over a dozen dentists. I can all any one of them and ask them how much a basic filling or cleaning might be…answers will be approximate. I trust the ones that are open and honest, and I can readily understand how much and why I am being charged.

Surgeons are difficult…expensive…not always transparent. Solution. 2 or more opinions.

My objection to the HA business model is mostly based on the experience of my elderly parents. My 90 year old mother was very easily deceived. I found that many professionals…including HA folks, readily took advantage of that. I am no ok with that.

In any professional there is a wide spectrum of competency and morality. This forum is one of the best avenues I have found that helps to unwind a very (in my opinion) shady business. The best HA professionals have both competency and transparency. This forum has helped me immensely in sorting this out. For the HA professionals that visit this forum that would never take advantage of my (now deceased) 90 year old mother…thank you! To the rest of you…well…##$$** off. :slight_smile:

Ethan Brand

@user92 said:

Exactly…Costco/Sams/Ebay are much closer to a rational business model.

I am going to Duke University audiology. They unbundle the cost of services after the 60 day refund period. If refunded without replacement they keep $400 for services. If desired, you can get a 1 year service subscription for $1200 or lifetime for $2500. Most customers pay per visit though.

That sounds like a reasonable way to go. Are they transparent about the cost of the ?..and completive with real world (ie Costco) pricing? Are they transparent about the actual performance differences among the plethora of largely similar HA models?

Thanks!

Ethan Brand

They are more expensive than Costco but my hope is they are more highly skilled. Since their medical otologist thought properly adjusted hearing aids would relieve my issues, I have that advice to fall back on.
Oticon More 1 before the price increase.
Aids $2820, Services $1045, Total $3865.

Costco does not really sell an equivalent. The Philips aids only have some of the features licensed.

I don’t know if I mentioned this, but my guy on eBay, who is my friend, now can program remotely. I encouraged him to do so. I think that’s important and necessary. A little extra quote “hands-on” makes a huge difference, imo.

Costco gets hearing aids for 10% of what the manufacturers charge private clinics. It’s not fair. I’d rather the government wrangle the manufacturers and provide hearing aids to everyone at one price, perhaps in part or completely covered by universal healthcare, and audiologists just charge for their professional services (perhaps in part or completely covered by universal healthcare). I’d rather manufacturers just make their one best product rather than strip features off the premium for increased affordability. But behold, capitalism. This is what we chose.

But to answer the OP, yes audiologist will reset hearing aids if they can confirm the devices aren’t stolen. They will assess whether they are appropriate, confirm that they are functioning and clean, refit them, and walk the new user through the whole process of adapting to them, etc. etc…

But not for free.

In reply to @Neville

@Neville said:

I’d rather the government wrangle the manufacturers and provide hearing aids to everyone at one price, perhaps in part or completely covered by universal healthcare, and audiologists just charge for their professional services (perhaps in part or completely covered by universal healthcare). I’d rather manufacturers just make their one best product rather than strip features off the premium for increased affordability. But behold, capitalism. This is what we chose.

The inflection point in the rising price of medical services coincides with the implementation of medicare price tables. And that behavior was entirely predictable.

A provider can get $500* (big profit) in town, and $200* (often a loss) in a rural area. So they raise “MSRP” to $600* to ensure they don’t leave any revenue on the table.

Insurers build their acceptable charges tables to mirror medicare tables.

Medicare tables are built around average price (provider and private insurers) surveys.

The result is a feedback loop that results in constant price inflation, well above inflationary growth.

Universal price controls would affect the revenue capture side, but makes the medical industry lobby more powerful. And one need look no further than Purdue Pharma/Oxycontin to see how that works.

The reality is that the law of unintended consequences is unavoidable and there is no black and white solution to a very complex economic problem.

  • made up service, made up price.

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