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Costco or not for my situation vs private vs Epic

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I am in the shopping phase for my first ’s and am feeling overwhelmed. From my own point of view, I don’t need them, but understand that my says otherwise, so am trying to be smart. The audiologist at my did my test, and says that the right ear is mild-profound and the left ear is . So would Costco still be a possibility? I feel like I read somewhere that maybe not for conductive hearing loss, but again, I’m feeling pretty confused the moment. If Costco is a possiblity in general, then I will ask more about brands and types, but would likely try them first.

Besides Costco, I could go through my ENT’s adjacent hearing aid center with audiologists, or use the very helpful hearing specialist that my elderly mom uses. He has 21 years experience and offers every manufacturer. It also turns out I have a little bit of insurance through my Medicare Supplement, via Epic, which is run by UHC. The HA specialist is covered through that, but says I may not want to use it. He says the offered choices are limited, and tend to be lower end. Also the number of follow-up visits isn’t limited to three I believe , whereas going privately I have unlimited visits (I think) and I believe lifetime service.

I’ll post separately about trying to decide types and brands. I am usually someone who wants to see the entire universe of things available, and am beginning to realize that this is a very subjective purchase (at least it seems that way). So on one level, having the HA specialist guy (Kevin) hold my hand could be very valuable, and I could afford to do it, but obviously don’t want to waste money either.

So, is Costco something that could possibly work for me?

Thanks so much

Yes you will definitely benefit from using , and Costco is a great place to start, they only sell the premium models, although rebranded they are the same,

@debit33 said:

So, is Costco something that could possibly work for me?

On paper of course they will “work” but will you be satisfied and happy with the outcome only you can answer this, trial a couple of different brands and choose the one you like.

From my own point of view, I don’t need them, but understand that my says otherwise, so am trying to be smart.

Yes, you will benefit from hearing aids. Pending on how long you have had that high frequency hearing loss it might take some time to adjust to all the sounds you have been missing.

The audiologist/fitter is a very important part of this process. The trial period or return period is also important so you don’t get stuck with aids you are not happy with. This is where Costco is really good. Great for a first timer like yourself.

You have come to a great place to learn about your hearing loss and aids.

Good luck

Yes, Costco is reasonable for you. Any hearing aid they carry should work for you. See what they recommend. Glasses need not be a problem. Likely best if you go for thin temples rather than big plastic ones.

Costco has a six month no questions asked return period so there is very little risk. As you probably know, Costco charges $1,500 or $1,600 for the same aids you would pay $5,000 to $6,000 for from a private audiologist. You can search the forum for peoples experiences on the three (or four) models they sell. As tenkan said, these are premium models from the major hearing aid manufacturers, just with different names for Costco. Plus you get free follow up sessions for the life of the aids.

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