Almost forgot this thread.
Revisiting hearing aids... The time has come... No more theoretical...
A bump to link the AARP explanation for the cost.
Hearing Aids - Why Do They Cost So Much - AARP
The real question is why should an item with a maximum of $445 materials cost, be priced at $4K? Hmmm... a pair costing as much as 10 IPhones?
Yes... I am aware that the price shown above, is at the upper end of the price spectrum, but even at the average price of 1/2 or less, seems to be an outrageous sum.
Based on the age of those who would typically be in need of hearing assistance, I would expect that items of this value, would be available in the
secondary, used marketplace. This does not seem to be the case, as there are few listings in places like Craig's List. Eeewe... who want's a "used" hearing aid? To save thousands of dollars?
I don't see much info on-line for alternates, except for the "generic" types, which always have very negative reviews. And yes... Costco... but still a very big expense item, with a high markup.
Overall, 20% of adults have some hearing loss, and one out of every three persons over age 65. 60% of the people who do have hearing loss are either in the workplace, or educational settings.