My insurance doesn't cover squat for hearing aids, I've thought about a set of Walker In Ear Silencers to see if I want to make the investment in the real deal.
My insurance doesn't cover squat for hearing aids, I've thought about a set of Walker In Ear Silencers to see if I want to make the investment in the real deal.
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My insurance will cover up to $900 for hearing aids but if you look at the cost through a provider they are usually at least a couple grand a piece, usually more, sometimes a lot more. That $900 doesn't go very far.
So you spend $4-5K on hearing aids and get $900 back for a total of $3100. Or you can go to Costo and buy a pair of good ones for $1800 without insurance.* One doesn't have to buy a membership to use their hearing aid or eye glass services. I did the former route twice before discovering Costco for hearing aids.
*My insurance won't cover Costco aids because they are too inexpensive. Hearing aids are a real racket.
Back to the Walkers. Been thinking of Walker In Ear Silencers just as a back up to my XVs. The thing I like about the XVs is that I can answer the phone and listen to audio books while I wear them. I intend to wear them during the rifle deer season this coming week. Shooting from an enclosed blind, while you don't usually notice it right away is tough on the hearing. These things allow me to amplify my hearing while also protecting it if I have to shoot.
Last edited by Garymac; 11-12-2017 at 07:43 AM.
WRT hearing aids, they are expensive, and worth every penny. Get the more expensive units, as they have the ability to fine tune the hearing. Something I hadn't considered, but not getting hearing aids can lead to early Dementia onset.
Walker Razor are on my Christmas list. I plan to use a set of muffs over the top to increase the noise reduction.
My two different sets of $5000+ hearing aids didn't work any better than my Costco ones. The Costco digital ones are rated pretty well and I've gotten very good service and support. Not to mention that you can take them to any Costco in the country for reprogramming, tuning, service etc. I did a lot of research the last time I needed to replace mine, I choose Costco and would again.
The high cost of HAs are primarily due to the markup of the service provider. I don't blame them for trying to pay for their brick and mortar and make a profit but Costco can do it cheaper.
*My insurance won't cover Costco aids because they are too inexpensive. Hearing aids are a real racket.
Copied from just above...
And if we get insurance to cover them watch out for the price JUMP!!! Look what happened to prescription drugs. When so many say "I have insurance" they dont even know what they cost or care....I have insurance.
Teachers/govt ins plans are famous for that.. Great coverage paid by someone else. When those RX copays went to $2 you would have thought it was the end of the world.
A friend of mine explained that providers are legally required to provide support to hearing aids they sell, no matter if you purchased the aids from them. He claims to have bought the 64 freq off internet and had them set up locally.
IDK, I got mine from UoM, and they were similar price to Costco/Sams Club, however they get me with service fees
We were discussing using hearing protection type devices as hearing enhancement. The Walker X/XV and presumably their in ear ones, and many electronic ear muffs enhance hearing but also have noise cancellation and muffle loud sounds. You can hear people talk, even turn up the volume but they block gunfire.
The discussion then got off track and into prescription hearing aids. Some hearing aid manufacturers do make prescription aids for hearing protection. Rock stars use them as do shooters etc. Here's an example
https://usa.bestsoundtechnology.com/...-and-shooting/
I will say that if you need hearing aids get them. I put off getting them for years and when I finally got them I was so surprised and overwhelmed by how much I had been missing I literally cried.
Partdeux....if you know what you are doing and know your prescription (go to Costco for a free hearing test) you can buy programmable digital hearing aids (sometimes used, sometimes new) online. Most online suppliers will program them for you. In some cases you can find and download the software and program them yourself.
Last edited by Garymac; 02-08-2018 at 02:37 PM.