HEARING AIDS

Frequently Asked Questions

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General Hearing Aid Questions

Will hearing aids completely fix my hearing?

Hearing aids can dramatically improve your hearing, but they don’t provide “perfect” hearing. A hearing aid is exactly what it says — it is an “aid” to help you hear better. Our expertise and your commitment to conquering hearing loss are the keys to your success.

How do hearing aids work?

Hearing aids contain micro computer chips, microphones, a very small speaker, and a battery. The computer chip scans and analyzes the sound environment up to 500 times per second, and adjusts the sounds based on the level of technology in the instrument and how it was set by your hearing healthcare provider. There are different levels of hearing aid technology that vary in how much they can analyze and how much they change to help the speech-in-noise.

Hearing aids vary by price, size and special features. The right choice for you also depends on your hearing needs and your lifestyle. The best way to select the right one is to get guidance from your local hearing experts. Call us today, and let’s talk.

Features of digital hearing aids
  • NO BATTERIES TO CHANGE! Rechargeable batteries make simple and convenient to just charge your hearing aids at night and free you from having to buy and dispose of replacement batteries.
  • Directional microphones, emphasizing what you hear in front of you
  • Connectivity; to cell phones for adjustments and sound streaming, to remote microphones to help in noise and eliminate distance, and to your TV!
  • Feedback cancellation does just that — it cancels feedback before you hear it as an annoying whistle.
  • Hands-free technology automatically adjusts to your listening environment, whether you are on the phone, in a crowd or in a windy area.

Will things sound different with hearing aids?

Becoming reacquainted with sounds while using hearing aids will take some practice. Your brain will need time to adjust to the sounds your hearing aids help provide. You may need just a few days to adjust to your new hearing aids, but most of our patients take a few weeks.

Will I need one or two hearing aids?

You have two ears because you need two ears! If you have hearing loss in each ear that could be reduced by hearing aids, you should wear two hearing aids. Wearing hearing aids in each ear will:

  • improve your ability to hear in noisy settings
  • allow you to determine where sounds are coming from
  • improve your ability to understand speech, even from a distance
  • help you hear soft sounds at lower levels
  • give sounds a fuller quality

Cost & Insurance Questions

How much should I pay for hearing aids?

How much to invest in hearing aids can depend on your lifestyle. If you live alone in the woods, rarely talk on the phone, never listen to the radio or watch TV, and rarely venture out, then your hearing aid use will probably be lower. In that case, it doesn’t make sense to opt for “top shelf” hearing aids.

On the other hand, if you spend time in meetings at work, like to watch TV, talk on the phone or listen to the news on the radio and you enjoy socializing with friends and family, your use is going to be high, even if you live by yourself. In fact, you’ll probably wear your hearing aids for 12 to 16 hours a day. You’ll want hearing aids that consistently perform well.

In that case, paying for high-quality hearing aids is a good value and an investment in your quality of life, in your ability to stay connected and to communicate well.

What determines the cost of hearing aids?

Features and function: Like any other technology, your hearing aid price depends on the features you choose and, more importantly, what your hearing healthcare professional recommends for you. The more features and the higher level of performance you’d like, the more you’ll pay for hearing aids.

What services are provided: Some hearing clinics bundle their service fees into the price of the hearing aids and some clinics are more transparent, showing you the price you are paying for the actual hearing aids and the price you are paying for their services. Some clinics bundle the cost of follow up visits for a specified amount of time and some allow you to pay for just what you need. Because hearing aids are worn IN the body there is a good amount of follow up and maintenance needed.

Will insurance cover hearing aids?

Health insurance companies generally don’t cover hearing aids. Similarly, Medicare doesn’t cover hearing aids for adults. But Medicare will cover the cost of bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA), a special type of hearing device if other coverage policies are met because Medicare has declared the BAHA a “prosthetic device” and not a hearing aid, as well as a cochlear implant.

If you need help paying for a hearing aid our nonprofit, Hearing The Call, can help cover the cost of hearing aids.

Do you have a question that wasn’t answered here?

Contact us and we’ll help you find the answers you need!

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