Costco Hearing Aids vs Local Audiologist
 

I’ve had hearing aids in the past, but they just didn’t meet my expectations so I returned them. Might have been my state of mind at the time because I thought my hearing was adequate. I got them because I was told (not by an audiologist) that I needed them.
Now, 5 years later, I’m thinking about giving them another try.

For the basic model, Villages Health quotes about $1600. Oticon and one other,I think.

Audiologist on 101 is about the same price for similar models. Same price for devices from several manufacturers. Told me that the basic model is all I need based on my lifestyle. I’m looking at the Phonak Infinio.

Costco has Jabra, Phillips and one other at roughly the same price.
Villages wants a copay for adjustments after a certain period as does the place on 101.
Costco has no copays for service after the sale.
I’m interested in hearing any experiences with any of these vendors (especially Costco), pros and cons.
Thanks

About four years ago I bought a pair of Kirkland brand from Costco that are made by Phonak. They look and operate just like regular Phonak, but only cost me about $1500. Three year warranty. They lasted about 3 1/2 years, which is about average, especially if you wear them every day like I do. Post sale service was excellent. I was VERY happy with them. I would investigate replacing them in-kind, but I finally got accepted to the VA system and am getting some from them. Hopefully they will be as good.

OP, you did not state if you have any insurance coverage, I have UHC Medicare, and they have a "discount" through Hear USA. I did use an Audiologist through The Villages Health (specialists accept Medicare) since many other locations will NOT clear our ear wax. Anyway, the recommendations were similar.
Now a word of caution, if you plan on using a phone app to control the hearing aids, please look at the reviews BEFORE you get your hearing aids. Unfortunately, I did not do this, and the app was so bad this I had to delete it.

I recommend you look at a model that has bluetooth capability. Mine are Phonak and I can connect to my phone and hear the conversation directly through my aids. I also connect to my TV and now I'm able to hear all the dialogue. Plus my wife is happy because the external volume is low enough to suit her.

All the major brands have this capability in some of their models and it is well worth the extra cost. I agree with a previous post that Costco has quality aids at a reasonable (compared to Mirical Ear and others) cost.

My husband said I needed hearing aids. I went to our local.Costco for free hearing exam. They were professional and thorough. They told me I had some high range loss but not enough to need aids. I have always told my husband he mumbles. Now I have proof!
:laugh:

I got my Unitrons through The Villages Health. The MSRP was something like $3600 but my FloridaBlue 360 website showed a special on HearUSA for the same model for $2500. My audiologist honored the lower price. Here's what came with it:

The devices, a charger and charging cord, a TV streaming box, firmware updates and device cleaning (they replace the wax guard, the outer bulb, and the tail that keeps the thing from falling off the back of my ear) every 3 months as needed, software updates for the remote app on my phone, customized program settings on my phone for different situations (driving my loud golf cart, listening to music through my phone music app, talking to friends while at a noisy restaurant, just sitting around the house not doing anything important, dancing in the squares, and one "automatic" which somehow knows what I'm listening to and self-adjusts for it). I also get another hearing test halfway through the 3-year warranty period at no extra charge (my insurance usually requires a co-pay with every visit to specialists - the cost of the devices covered ALL the co-pays).

It came with one battery change and, the best part - at the end of the three year warranty, I can tell them that I need that battery change and they will completely refurbish the devices in addition to just the battery. That will give me another 2-3 more years of use out of them before I need to replace them (assuming my hearing doesn't change drastically enough to need new ones earlier than that).

It also gives me all of this in the privacy of the audiologist's office. I don't have to go through a crowded store filled with music, announcements, people talking loudly to each other, the sound of a thousand shopping carts, kids whining at their parents, and all the other sounds that good hearing aids pick up for you when you walk through a warehouse store like that.

Appears to do everything except for what my wife says is my hearing problem. Does it fix selective hearing?

There is no cure for "male pattern hearing loss"...

No, your wife would need an upgraded husband for that.

Hearing aids
 

costco, if you don't have insurance.

I don’t know, when asked, A.I. says that an upgrade would be highly unlikely. I do believe that I’m starting to warm to this technology : )

I purchased my hearing aids with United Healthcare. The Villages Health audiologist was in network at that time. The Villages Health is no longer in the network. This really aggravated me. The Villages Health system is in the United network, but the audiology department is not. United provides 1 year of service after that you are on your own. The other local providers that are in United's network probably provide service for 1 year too. I called one local hearing aid company who said that they will sell you a lifetime service contract for $1500 or something like that. I expect these Phonak hearing aids to last 3 to 4 years. My United insurance plan at the time covered the entire cost of the hearing aids with no copay. The typical co-payment for these hearing aids under United is about $1299 per hearing aid.

VA hearing aids.
 

I get my hearing aids from the V A. They have Bluetooth so I hear my phone and TV with them. They are a Phonak brand. They replace in 5 years if needed.

I too did a hearing test recently and the results show that my hearing is pretty good, but I don’t hear / comprehend fully in the range that covers female voices.

Had to show the paper results to the wife before she believed me.

Why does husband's hearing go bad before their wive's?

ans: Cause they want it to.