Hearing aid prices
Hearing aids are often considered to be expensive. Hearing aid prices range considerably depending on the technology level and features required to meet your hearing needs.
In this article, we will answer the question- “Why are hearing aids expensive?”, give details about what you are paying for when you have hearing aids fitted, as well as how technology levels within the hearing aids affect their price.
New Zealand residents can access a Ministry of Health Subsidy of $511.11 per hearing aid every six years, and there are a few other funding systems like ACC, Vets Affairs and WINZ. Even with this help, the additional cost still may remain high. Hearing aids can range from $1000 to over $10,000 for a pair of hearing aids depending on the clinic and the options you choose.
At Auckland Hearing we are able to offer the best value hearing aids in Auckland as we are a small company with lower overheads and exceptional service to get you hearing well for the long term.
Investing in yourself and your family
When you get your hearing aids, they will help you to engage, connect and communicate with family and friends during all your waking hours for the next 6+ years. Sometimes it takes time to be ready to get hearing aids. Once you have made your decision to get hearing aids, it is essential to choose the right Audiologist. The right audiologist will help you select the best solution for you and your lifestyle. It is worth making sure you choose well the first time.
The skill of your Audiologist is crucial to your success with hearing aids
Hearing successfully with your hearing aids is about more than the devices. The hearing technology you choose will make a difference in the hearing outcomes you can achieve. However, it is just as important to select an Audiologist who is going to lead you through the many options to a solution that will meet your individual needs.
There are many steps included in successful hearing aid fitting, and there is a time of change and adjustment as you adapt to hearing again. We need to make sure your hearing aids are comfortable in your ears; do real ear measurement to be sure the hearing aids are adjusted to you individual ear acoustics, as well as your hearing loss and look after your long term hearing needs. A good Audiologist will help you to understand the steps in the process so you can successfully adapt and use your hearing aids.
Hearing Aid Prices at Auckland Hearing
Getting more than just hearing devices
While hearing aid prices often seem high, it’s essential to know that you are paying for more than only the hearing aids themselves. Hearing aids bought off the shelf are not useful for you. At your hearing fitting appointment, we will customise your hearing aids for your hearing levels and ear characteristics.
Getting hearing aids is a time of change; it takes time to adjust to hearing the sounds you have been missing. Having an experienced Audiologist to help you through this adjustment is essential to your hearing success.
Many services are included in the price of your hearing aids.
- The needs assessment consultation
- The initial hearing aid fitting,
- Objective measurement of how your hearing aids are functioning in your ears, make sure the sound is right for you
- follow-up adjustments are included for at least six months.
- There is also an option of returning the hearing aids and trialling others if our first option did not meet our agreed expectations.
- A manufacturer warranty is usually two and sometimes three years.
- Long term follow up appointments are subsidised throughout the life of the hearing aids
Click below to learn more about what we include in our hearing aid fitting package at Auckland Hearing.
Meeting your needs
During your needs assessment, we will establish the environments you spend the most time in. We will suggest the level of technology that we think will best meet your everyday hearing needs. In many cases, this will not be the highest-end technology. We understand that the cost of hearing aids is a factor when choosing hearing aids, and we will select the best hearing aid available within your budget.
Each hearing aid brand has different strengths and features that focus on different areas of technology. As an independent hearing clinic, we have the option of choosing the best technology available for your individual needs. We are not committed to any specific brand and can quickly shift to the newest technology as it comes on the market.
Hearing aid funding
Being a full member of the New Zealand Audiology Society and holding a current practising certificate, Maree can provide access to all funding options available in New Zealand including Ministry of Health, ACC, Vets affairs and more.
What influences hearing aid prices?
I have heard people say “the price of other technology (TVs) has dropped over the years, but the cost of hearing aids has remained high”. Hearing aids technology has come a very long way in a very brief time. The technology you are getting in even the lowest end hearing aids has features that were not available in the highest technology hearing aids only a few years ago. The cost of new development in hearing technology is shared across fewer consumers than for computers and phones. You are paying toward continued research for future hearing care; as the people who got hearing aids five years ago have contributed to the research towards current hearing technology.
Technology level & the cost of hearing aids
Every manufacturer offers devices at various technology levels. The features on the inside of hearing aids are what reflects the price you pay, not what the hearing aids look like on the outside. The top-end technology hearing aids have all the premium features and suit people with high listening needs. Lower technology (and priced) hearing aids have less sophisticated features and will work well in quieter listening environments. There are many hearing aids styles, and most of them are available at each level of technology. Learn more about hearing aids here.
The hearing aid price categories described below give you a feel for how hearing aids are classified. Please call the clinic for more details of these price ranges.
Breaking down the cost of hearing aids over time
The initial cost of hearing aids can feel like a shock to the system. If you step back and look at the bigger picture and see the value they make in your life.
We regularly fit hearing aids in the $4000-$7000 price range. Even though these hearing aids are not top of the range, they have many of the best features – and they meet the needs of many of our clients. Hearing aids last at least six years (unless something happens that requires an insurance claim). Let’s break down the cost of wearing your hearing aids all day every day:
Can you afford $2.70 a day to help you keep you in contact with the important people in your life, keep you active and involved with the world around you and keep your brain functioning?
Which hearing aids suit you?
Once you decide you are ready for hearing aids, we will take you through the needs assessment process where we find out about your lifestyle and listening needs. The needs assessment helps us decide together, which hearing aids are right for you. We will choose among different hearing aid brands and technology levels to find hearing aids that will meet your needs and budget.
Your Needs Assessment
When you come for your consultation, we will discuss your individual hearing needs and then match the best technology for you. The advantage of being an independent clinic is that we can choose from all of the brands available in New Zealand so we can select the most appropriate hearing aids for your needs.
An appointment for a hearing aid consultation at Auckland Hearing is free of charge. We require a current full hearing test at this appointment (less than one-year-old). You can bring along a recent full hearing test, or we can do a diagnostic hearing assessment before the hearing consultation.
At this appointment, we usually program some hearing aids up for you to try while you are at your appointment; this allows you to experience how hearing aids help to hear easier and more clearly.
We make sure your goals are met
At the needs assessment, we record and clarifying specific areas where you would like an improvement in your hearing. Then after you have been wearing your hearing aids for a few weeks, we can check we have met your specific hearing needs. That is how we know we have chosen the right hearing aids for you.
Cost of not acknowledging your hearing loss
It can be challenging to accept, but an untreated hearing loss has been linked to other health conditions such as depression, dementia, and increased risk of trips and falls. A study by Better Hearing Institute (more the 40,000 households) found hearing loss negatively impacted average household income up to $12,000 per year depending on the degree of hearing loss. The use of hearing instruments was shown to mitigate the effects of hearing loss by 50%. Learning about this research may make you wonder – can you afford not to address hearing issues?
Access to hearing program
We have created the “Access to Hearing” program for those who need hearing aids but are held back due to affordability. This program includes a hearing aid fitting appointment, and 2 follow up appointments.
Hearing aids in this category are available from less than $1100 for two hearing aids or $700 for one. This pricing assumes you will be eligible for the government subsidy of $511 per hearing aid.
Can you afford $2.70 a day to help you keep you in contact with the important people in your life, keep you Active and involved with the world around you and keep your brain functioning?
More about the process of getting hearing aids
Would you like to discuss your hearing aid options? If you would like to organise a free hearing aid consultation, please call 09 525 0522 or email [email protected].