I was just fitted with a pair of Oticon hearing aids today. So far, so good.

 

Bill, did you go direct to the company or to an audiologist? I think there is a law effective 1/1/20 that cuts out the middleman (audiologist) and lets you buy direct from the manufacturer. I've been waiting till 2020 to move on it.

 

Due to my ear problems, I went through the audiologist at Mass Eye and Ear. Do you save a lot by going direct?

 

Time will tell, but from what I hear (no pun intended), eliminating the middleman and the increased competition, should reduce costs by more than 50%.

 

Good for you Bill, I've had mine about 6 years now, same brand. With all the fine tuning the audiologist does I don't know how you'd cut them out. I've found the best lasting/cheapest batteries are the Kirklands from Costco.
Levi

 

Im glad to hear you are a satisfied customer, Levi. Mine are rechargeable and I also got a “free” remote pick-up that connects via blue tooth. My hearing aids are Bluetooth connected to my phone now. It was pretty easy to set up and seems to work well. I agree with you about the role of the audiologist. The app I downloaded does not offer a lot of controls to the user. The audiologist has much more.

 

Tonight I’ll list out the model numbers, what was included and what I paid. It will be interesting to see how your deal compares.

 

I don't have any deals in the works Bill. But you can check in a few months and see if your HAs are cheaper then, particularly if you can buy them direct.
I agree the audiologist adds value, but I expect manufacturers will train staff, or their salespersons, to do some/most of what they currently do.
I don't have any interest other than saving money. I think like most medically related commodities, the prices are inflated. Why would a set of HAs cost 5000 or 6000?
The electronics have to be way simpler than a $500 cell phone for example.

 

on a different note Bill, how is your surgery site doing now?

 

Pretty well Jerry. Thanks for asking. The Doc said everything looked good and cleared me for hearing aids. The area is still a bit tender to the touch, but the sharp pains along the incision/titanium patch line have disappeared. I did feel a bit dizzy before Thanksgiving, but that passed. Now I seem to be ok.