How to Talk About Financing Options with Your Audiologist or Hearing Care Provider

Are you uncomfortable about the prospect of discussing the price of a new set of hearing aids with your provider, knowing they can cost anywhere from $1,200 to as much as $8,000? If so, you’re not alone.

Few of us enjoy haggling over the price of medical services. Especially in a clinical setting where a credentialed medical professional is sitting in front of you recommending a product or treatment path that they've just proven you need. Many of us may feel intimidated or reluctant to ask for less expensive options.

If it’s any consolation, most audiologists and hearing aid specialists don’t find it pleasurable discussing their costs either. That’s because the vast majority got into the hearing care profession to help people—and not to take part in what might be perceived as high-pressure sales pitches. And all of them are very aware hearing aids can be expensive or even unaffordable for many people.

In fact, many provide free hearing tests as a matter of course, and there’s no obligation to buy hearing aids even if you need them. But once you’re in the office with diagnosed hearing loss, you may feel some subtle pressure to take the next step.

(You may have also already had plenty of unsubtle pressure from your spouse or loved ones tired of repeating themselves. And you may have read articles about hearing loss and its links to a wide range of chronic illnesses, including dementia.)

But then you see the price tag. The average cost for a pair of hearing aids is around $4,700. You can be forgiven for experiencing sticker shock.

Unfortunately, all too often the patient’s journey to better hearing ends right there. It’s all too easy to say you need some time to think it over and beat a hasty retreat, never to return.

How to manage the money discussion with your provider

But there’s a better way to manage the money discussion with your provider and get the hearing assistance you need. Planning in advance for a negotiation, even if you’re heading to the clinic for a free hearing test, will help you get the conversation off on the right foot:

1. Research the Practice: Find out about the practice in advance. Read online reviews and seek out word-of-mouth referrals. Then call the clinic, ask what brands of hearing aids they offer, and do your own research on what they usually cost.
2. Check Insurance Coverage: Check out your insurance coverage or call to see if your plan covers hearing aids and, if so, which practices in your area contract with them.
3. Compare Prices: Prices vary significantly across hearing aids and hearing healthcare practices, so consult a source that monitors prices industrywide, such as the HearingTracker hearing aid comparison engine. You will see that even premium hearing aid brands sell a variety of hearing aids at different price and performance levels.
4. Know the Features: Learn about the many bells and whistles that may be offered. When you buy a car, you need to decide if you want extra warranty coverage, a premium sound package, mud guards, or heated seats. When you buy hearing aids, you need to decide if you want Bluetooth streaming, a custom in-the-ear form factor, rechargeability, or other options that can impact the price of your hearing aids. Think in advance about what additional features you will want or need, and how much you're willing to pay for them.
5. Seek Premium Skills: Be aware that even basic-level hearing aids offered at a hearing care clinic will improve your hearing, as long as they're suitable for your level of hearing loss and fit using best practices. At HearingTracker, we're big fans of more affordable "economy" hearing aids, and studies back us up on this point: Skillfully fitted economy hearing aids should provide you with almost as much benefit as premium hearing aids, except in certain noisy environments.
6. Discuss Costs: When you get to the clinic, be ready to take control of the conversation by asking about costs right away. If your free test reveals that hearing aids might help, let your provider know what budget you have in mind and ask if the practice carries products that you can afford. If you have a specific price range in mind based on your research, let the professional know.
7. Check Financing Options: Most important, ask right away about financing options. Ask if the practice accepts the CareCredit health financing card or any other forms of financing that can let you pay off your hearing aids with low monthly payments.

The days when health professionals could intimidate patients and dictate care without providing transparent information about costs and outcomes are long gone. The best hearing care providers are not only committed to giving patients the best clinical care possible but are also happy to work with patients to find solutions they can afford.

And remember, hearing healthcare is a competitive marketplace, with an ever-growing variety of products and services. If you’re not happy with the service, products, pricing, or financing options available at the first practice you visit, don’t be afraid to shop around.

There are plenty of options out there.