Reply to Be cautious about getting hearing aids from Costco

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I think it is ridiculous medi-care and many other insurance plans do not cover hearing aids. So the next best thing is Costco because they have the lowest prices on hearing aids. For many people this is great and it is really the best place for many people to get hearing aids, but I just wanted to tell about my experience if you have a parent who needs hearing aids.

About 5 years ago I took my mother to Costco and got her hearing aids for a moderate to severe loss. She never really adapted to wearing them because she said they were uncomfortable and hard to put on so only wore them intermittently.  About a year later she had a stroke and then she stopped wearing them. About two years ago I took her back to Costco and explained she wasn't wearing them. The audio technician was nice and said they still worked so he cleaned them up and recommended that she wear them. Meanwhile she was experiencing a slow cognitive decline that is now dementia. I have been reading about how hearing loss (and not wearing hearing aids to make up for the loss) can be a very significant risk factor for dementia. So now she has trouble with short-term memory but can still have a conversation and remember some things. I really wanted her to try hearing aids again so took her to an audiologist.

The whole experience was so different. He explained that hearing aids shouldn't be uncomfortable. He also recommended a type of hearing aid (Lyric) that is invisible, is inserted into the ear canal by an audiologist and then can be left in place for around 2 months without having to be charged. After two months you go back to the audiologist and they are replaced (they are disposable). This has been such an amazing hearing aid for my mother who is not able to remember to charge them or put them on consistently in the morning.  She has had them for a month and her quality of life is so much better. She can hear the phone ringing, her friends talking to her at meals (she lives in an assisted living apartment), me knocking on the door (before I would have to go get someone to open the door after calling all day and knocking on her door with no answer). Being able to hear 24/7 is amazing. She can't feel they are even in her ear. I really regret now not taking her to an audiologist that has a quiet office and more time to find the right hearing aid. The money spent on the hearing aid probably would have saved money because she might not be as far along with her dementia, which requires her to spend more money on care. [/quote]

How expensive is the Lyric?

It was a 5 year uphill battle just to get my dad to finally get hearing aids, and now we're battling to get him to wear the goddamn things.[/quote]
+1
I am curious the cost also. [/quote]

$3600 for a year. You have to buy a year prescription and that price includes all the office visits and as many lyric disposable aids as you need for your ears. (That price is for both ears). Only around 10% of audiologists are certified to sell lyric because you need additional training. For my mom it has been well worth the money. She is amazed to hear her clothes rustling and her footsteps. I didn’t realize you at more if a risk for falling of you can’t hear your footsteps, which makes sense if you think about it. [/quote]

I forgot to add there is a 30 day no cost trial period. Only around 75% of people can be adequately fitted and then tolerate the Lyric. Some people have sensitive or narrow ear canals or don't like them, so the first month is free. If you decided to get them then the one year mark starts at whatever day you started your trial.  The price can vary at different audiologists. So it could be a little more or less depending on the audiologist. They are the only truly invisible hearing aids. You can't see them at all even if you are staring directly at someone's ear canal.

If you are tech savy, can research, and have no other issues then I think Costco is great. By all means start at Costco and see if it works. I just wanted to post for the people who are dealing with elderly parents who should be wearing hearing aids but don't. Or people who want a truly invisible hearing aid. I am not sure if it is true or not but supposedly only 25% of people who get hearing aids at Costco never get second pair. I am not sure if this is really accurate but that is what I read. I think there is an art to programing and fitting hearing aids. For my mother Costco didn't end up being a good option either five years ago or now.

I just don't understand how so many other things are mandated to be covered by health insurance yet hearing aids that lead to a much improved quality of life are not covered. I would think there would be a total savings if you factored in all the benefits of wearing a hearing aid like helping to prevent dementia, fall prevention, preventing mental health issues like depression when people withdraw, etc. [/quote]

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