New York state law hearing aid trial period?

Personally I think 15 days is way too short to trial a hearing aid. I think you’ll need at least 30 days to be sure. The issue is how quick of a turn around your audi can give you a fitting appointment to make adjustment for you? If she’s too busy and can’t see you until a week later, that means you’ll barely get 1 initial fitting and 1 adjustment appointment in before the trial time is up. Also, how busy are YOU even if your audi can see you next day every time?

I think it’s irrelevant what the state law says because it’d be better if you ask her nicely to change the 15 days to 30 or 45 days yourself. You don’t want to start a relationship with her by holding any law over her head in the first place.

If you feel like asking for 45 days up front is pushing it, you can start by asking for 30 days. Then when 30 days approach and you’re still not sure (with legitimate reasons), you can ask for another 15 day extension to push it out. If she’s resistant to this extension and you truly feel like you legitimately need it, you can always give her a veiled threat that she’s forcing your hands to return the HAs within 30 days because she’s unwilling to extend.

New York state law mandates a minimum trial period of 45 days for hearing aids:

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/GBS/798152

I will start off by requesting a 30-day trial from the get-go, then see what happens, and if I need more time I’ll ask.
If they don’t give it to me it’s a deal-breaker, show-stopper, what have you, I could go with buyhear whatever it’s called and do the Oticon courses mentioned elsewhere…just a question of what the insurance would do.
They know I’m a fairly sophisticated HA user b/c I’ve worn them all my life and I’m an IT/systems person, not a techn00b.
I can go elsewhere if I want, they have to give me the audiogram results past and present and I have some additional old ones.
Thank you, Tom

@tom12010 said:

I have found two separate documents with different lengths, one for year 2013 that says 45 days and refund less 5% cost, one for year 2014 that says 30 days.
Audiologist I visited today for hearing test has sign or other material, I forget which, stating 15 days.
CAN she arbitrarily say this?? I’m pretty sure I can request a longer trial period if I ask nicely but I want something to back it up since I might be trialing Oticon Opns and maybe also buying one of their streamer things for TV even though I seldom watch TV.
Really learning a lot about Oticon Opns here, I may surprise the audi and her dispenser!!
Thank you, Tom

In New York State you get a 45 day trial: Refund Provisions. Under New York State law, if you return the hearing aid within 45 days of purchase you areentitled to a full refund of the total purchase price of the canceled hearing aid, including batteries, cords and accessories,and all fees related to the hearing aid, less 10 percent. A simple Google search turned up a treasure trove of info on HA’s in NY attached is the official one.

I would tell the audiologist you are dealing with you expect a minimum 45 day trial per state law and for her to follow the state law to the letter.

Good luck!

https://www.dos.ny.gov/licensing/pdfs/Consumers%20Guide%20to%20Hearing%20Aids.pdf24