Many people ask why modern digital hearing aids are considered to be very expensive. This is, without any doubt, one of the most widespread questions buyers ask. Let us have a look at some of the reasons why hearing aids are expensive.
When purchasing new hearing aids, price is a big factor in deciding whether to purchase the right hearing aid. Following is a comparison of hearing aid prices, level of amplification required, lifestyle options, dexterity, hearing aid brands, technology, and Bluetooth connectivity.
Wearing a hearing aid is a liberating experience for both the wearers and their families. No more misunderstanding conversations or shouting! They simply improve hearing and amplify sounds.
Hearing aids instill more confidence since now the wearer can hear the world around them and feel a lot safer. They reduce social isolation, depression, anxiety, and dependence on others.
Before looking at the different reasons why hearing aids are expensive, it’s very important to remember that there is a very small group of companies that control 98% of the hearing aid market. This leaves consumers without many options and this explains the high cost of hearing aids.
The price of digital hearing aids is affected by several factors:
Research and Development
How the brain manages to sound, how the ear functions, and how we can support the brain by delivering better sound information are all key research areas that involve electrical engineers, audiologists, sound engineers, computer engineers, programmers, and more. Each year, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent to make hearing aids more powerful, smaller, smarter, and more natural sounding. The investment in medical research helps to better understand the nature of hearing and hearing loss. The research and development costs for hearing aids are very high because:
the hearing aid chips are not reused technology like other devices. They are custom-made by the hearing aid manufacturer, and specifically designed for that line of hearing aids.
Research is made to refine the hearing aid features that are software-based.
This development is important because the company needs to remain competitive and always offer better solutions for its buyers.
Technological advancements
Premium devices provide you with top technology. They include more hearing solution features and better programs in order to personalize your experience with hearing aids. The more features you seek, the more expensive the hearing aids will be. Bluetooth, speech recognition, remote control, and many other features all add to the price of the hearing aid.
This doesn’t mean though that cheaper hearing aids are not powerful or effective. You just need to choose what you want and what your audiologist thinks your case or hearing loss needs. Sometimes, your hearing requirements are simple, so cheaper hearing aids with fewer features are what you need.
Professional services offered by audiologists
In order to benefit from the hearing aids you purchase, they must be fit by a professionally trained audiologist or a hearing aid specialist. These spend a lot of time on the hearing test, evaluation, fitting, and programming of your hearing aid. This is without mentioning the cost of maintaining the office, paying the staff, the cost of advertising and many more. Since they roll up the cost of their time and services into the price of the hearing aids, this makes the hearing aids more expensive.
Customization
As we all know by now, digital hearing aids come in different models, types, and sizes. Some of the in-the-ear hearing aids must be custom-molded to fit your particular ear. Customizing individual hearing aids takes time, skill, and effort, which are all included in the cost of the hearing aid. Each hearing aid is customized and programmed for the user’s type of hearing loss.
Optional Warranties
Many hearing aids come back with money-back return policies. If the user is unhappy with their hearing aid, they can return it for all or part of the cost of the hearing aid. These hearing aids won’t be sold to others. That is the cost of the returned hearing aid has to be counted from both the provider and the manufacturer. All this adds to the high price of all hearing aids.
Digital hearing aids are a very important investment for your health. Since they are something you wear practically all day and every day, remember that you are investing in far more than just the device itself!
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