In fairness if they are paying wholesale nearly what you pay at retail from Boots, how do they operate?
Hi @zebra1922, you will be hard pushed to beat their £2.4k for the pair, fully fitted at Boots, buying online? I have a wonderful AuD at Boots, trained I believe with the NHS, so she is very experienced, and nothing is ever a too much bother… You will need Noah Link Wireless hardware, and Target 7.1 software, if you are planning self-programming? Boots prices are cheap in comparison to other High Street hearing aid sellers, their margins must be wafer thin, as Um_bongo rightly says;
You mention, word recognition score, it is something rightly or wrongly never done to my knowledge, here in the UK, never once in 30 odd years, going to both private and NHS AuD’s have I ever had a word recognition score done, with 2 exceptions, which were “Cochlear Implant Assessments”… I don’t know if Um_bongo does WRS, or perhaps he might give his take on them? Good Luck with your trial, cheers Kev
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That’s odd a word recognition score wouldn’t be performed. It’s, at least in the US, a standard part of an audiogram.
It is not done here in the UK @eskie227, and in the 10 years or so that have frequented this forum, I do not recall anyone saying they had a WRS done for any standard hearing test in the UK…. There are most likely some AuD’s out there in this country whom do, it may be just I haven’t heard of them, perhaps it is an Americanism, or perhaps the FDA insist it is best practice…… Does Costco do WRS in the States, or is it the usual bog standard booth test? Perhaps if the do the WRS test, they may do it in Costco UK? Cheers Kev 
I haven’t used Costco, so I can’t vouch for how they do it, but my expectation is they do. To my knowledge, (almost all, I’m sure there may be exceptions out there) medical insurance carriers, including Medicare, will cover the cost of testing as a diagnostic procedure if ordered by an ENT doctor, even if they don’t cover HAs themselves. A standard diagnostic audiogram by definition would need WRS or be considered inadequate for diagnosis and not be reimbursed.
To get my insurance to cover one HA (guess they figure one is better than none) I first had to see an ENT doc. It was appropriate, as I had seriously impacted cerumen in both ears that needed two sessions to clear (vacuumed once, then a week of peroxide drops to soften up the crap still stick to my eardrum and another vacuuming, no way to properly test my hearing without that done). Then I had a referral to the Aud for an audiogram and evaluation for my hearing loss. They covered the ENT visits, audiology “consult” and testing. Then the Aud was able to make a recommendation of a HA based on what my insurance would cover. I ended up having to pay for the second HA myself, but it beat paying for two.
Obviously not everyone sees an ENT doc before getting HAs. But even if you go for evaluation of your hearing to an Aud and get an audiogram, that cost can reimbursed if you’re billed for it. Folks can check with their carrier and ask the Aud for a bill to submit, but typically if you’re walking in and heading straight to a HA purchase, or even a “consult” for one, the Aud will just view that as a free service and not bill. It might still be worth asking about splitting that out to get at least something back, even if you’re not covered for HAs themselves.
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I had a speech test done on my last appointment with the NHS when I got my Oticon Engage. They didn’t tell me the results but that was the first time in 30 years of wearing hearing aids that the NHS have done a speech test.
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That’s interesting @williamshetty, perhaps a new method of testing, and more akin to the American model, but if it helps them to understand you and other folks hearing loss, even slightly, then that’s an improvement worth having! Thank you for that info, I am much obliged…. Cheers Kev
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How are you finding NHS Oticon engage? The BT is better than the Phonak P90R I’m trialling but think my hearing is better with Phonak aids but then they are expensive.
~Although speech recognition may not be common in the UK it was offered when I went to The Hearing Clinic in Glasgow 18 months ago. The service was night and day compared to Boots, lots of explanation, lots of adjustments and discussion of how he could tweak programming to ensure I heard as well as possible.
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Hi @zebra1922, you are always going to find it difficult to compare discount services like “Boots Hearing Care”, and Specsavers, we go there because they are cheaper, and yes you will probably get a more intensive service with “The Hearing Clinic”, but that comes at a more premier price, like all things in life, you get what you pay for… Boots offer interest free credit, payable over 2 years, with wafer thin margins, they are looking for a high turnover of clients. Specsavers are very similar, and ever so slightly cheaper again! The real bargains are probably with Costco in Glasgow, I believe they have a hearing centre there, I don’t know if they have the KS10’s in stock there yet, but if they do, that is a rebranded Phonak Paradise RIC rechargeable @ around £1400 or so for the pair, with a 3-year warranty, I believe? And you should get at least a 3-month trial, fully refundable if you are not satisfied? Although, you have to join Costco UK… BTW, it’s a “Word Recognition Score” abbreviated as “WRS”, around this forum, it can get a tadge technical, there a few Audiologists, and Hearing Aid Dispensers whom frequent these pages. “Good Luck” in your quest. Cheers Kev
I have never worn Phonak. My hospital have always handed out Oticon. These are my first Bluetooth / MFi hearing aids tho.
A little off topic but I found this site after I got my HAs. I guess I became more curious after I started to wear them and stumbled in here. Given the experiences some have had, I kinda lucked out that I managed to navigate to a good solution for my own hearing loss. Now I can see how many pitfalls there can be in going from the decision of “yes, I need help hearing”, to the point of ending up with a solution that works for you without a struggle.
I’ve certainly learned a lot, and am grateful I ended up having a good experience and a good outcome.
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You are fortunate if you find a solution @eskie227, most of us in the severe/profound threshold basically make do…… That is not to say I feel bitter, I don’t, the biggest gift you can give to yourself is excepting your loss, it is the only way to move on! Hearing Aids will never replace what you have lost, they are essentially assistive listening devices and nothing more, we just adapt and communicate as best we can, and yes we would struggle badly without them, but even with them, in acoustically challenging situations we will have to look for other clues in order to communicate! Human beings are very resourceful, and we normally rise to the challenges of life, hearing loss is just another obstacle, we just look for a way to circumvent…… Been on this forum for probably over 10 years or so, it has some wonderfully clever and resourceful inhabitants, and I have probably forgotten more than I have learned 
We have a common bond, that binds us into likeminded souls, we have the gift of understanding, because we have literally walked in each other’s shoes…… And yes, at times we feel down, we feel drained, we feel isolated, but on this forum I think for some we feel at home…… Cheers Kev
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@kevels55 oh I consider myself quite fortunate that my hearing loss is not anything near as bad as what many here have struggled with for decades. My apologies if it seemed otherwise. I meant no offense. I’ve learned a great deal about the struggles of living with profound hearing loss and am happy that technology continues to evolve to offer better solutions. Even for me, I don’t feel that my hearing is “cured”, or restored, but improved enough that I can enjoy most of what I have lost. While no one here may ever return to “normal “, it’s encouraging that help is available to improve the quality of life lost with profound hearing loss.
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Hi @eskie227, I take no offence whatsoever, I think most of the folks on here are just glad to be able to help or assist fellow deaf hearing aid users, as best they can…. We have understanding and empathy, we probably gain more support on this forum, than perhaps at home or work, basically because most hearing folks have little or no real understanding of our problems, they just don’t get it, and the vast majority may be unwilling to learn to help alleviate our various challenges…. For instance, in your country approximately 1 in 7 folks have a hearing loss, tis much higher in the ageing population, perhaps as high as 1 in 4, that would equate to around 60 million or so HOH, yet they have no voice to speak up for their needs, or rights, most are left to fend for themselves…… Most folks lose a lot of confidence with the onset of SNHL, especially if it is sudden! They are isolated from others, unable to effectively communicate, tis a downward spiral that all too often leads to mental health issues…. What if those numbers were harnessed into one voice, I am almost certain various politicians might be falling over themselves to help their plight? Just my thoughts and 2 cents worth 
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Audiologists vary in their skills and commitment, just as do dentists, doctors or for that matter roofing contractors! Boots (Exeter UK) was a very positive experience for me, the young audi made careful threshold measurements (though no speech tests) but did not try to bounce me into a purchase as she could tell that my quite old NHS Phonaks were continuing to meet my unsophisticated needs: i.e. no bluetooth wanted, no auto-adaptive stuff, just adequate fidelity to do my day-job. That involves recording - but does not easily rise to a big outlay.
The Phonaks were set up by NHS ten years back, carefully adjusted and matched to one another using a thin tube to check the ear-canal sound, and not over-egged in terms of compensating for high-end loss.
Of course they fall short as do most: not much output below 250 Hz, which in UK is still the lower limit of measurement anyway. For music, and for male voices, that has to change! Probably the latest Widex is pointing the way. Wonder if NHS will have those. Onward to next review…
I know people who haven’t said great things about Boots or Specsavers. Have you tried looking for a smaller independent dispenser near you? You might perhaps get a better, more personal caring experience from them rather than from a “big High Street” chain.
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I had a word recognition test when I first saw a high street audiologist some 5 years ago. They had very fancy kit. However when it came to buying the product they were nearly 3 times more than Boots. Like someone wrote earlier, I offered to pay the high street specialist much above the Boots price but they declined my custom.
Wow I wasn’t aware we had a Costco in Glasgow and they have a hearing section. Just checked and they do sell those Kirkland 10s. Must check their service out more. Thanks
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You are welcome @murjake, if you try them, please let us know your thoughts…. I live just over 200 miles away from Glasgow, but if they have an excellent service, I wouldn’t rule them out in the future…. Cheers Kev
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