Completely different prices at different audiologists? Where should I buy from? How much should the Widex Moment 220 cost?

Hearing Aids
#1

My dad’s looking to get hearing aids and I’m helping him out, we both went into this knowing nothing about them. The first audiologist we visited recommended the Widex Moment 220, and after doing some research I agree that looks like a good option.

She then talked about the prices, saying the Moment 220 is $5000, the 330 is $6000, and the 440 is $7000. That was a lot higher than I was expecting to hear, so we decided to see if there were cheaper options.

We saw a second audiologist today, who recommended either the Moment 220 or the Oticon More 3, and either would be $3900. I asked him why they’re $1100 cheaper than the other place and he couldn’t say for sure, claiming that both places offer the same services after buying the hearing aid. I’m not sure if that’s true, the first location said the price includes insurance to replace the hearing aid if damaged, so maybe that justifies some of the extra cost.

Then this afternoon I came across this place which has the prices right on the website. $2874 for the Widex Moment 220… yet another $1000 less.

How can they be so much cheaper? They’re located in a strip mall which I suppose is part of it (the others had nice offices in a fancy building). But they still have qualified audiologists selling the same products.

I’ve read about how it can be important to go to a skilled audiologist rather than go for the cheapest option at Costco. Maybe it’s worth going to one of the higher priced places, maybe they have better audiologists. Maybe the $2874 place tacks on $1000 worth of fees and add-ons once you get there, I wouldn’t know.

Can anyone offer me any advice? Is there a reason not to save money and go with the cheapest option? And can anyone tell me what the Widex Moment generally sells for? For all I know the first two places are a ripoff… or maybe they’re reasonably priced and the third place looks shady or something.

I’m clueless here, any help would be appreciated.

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#2

Yes this is one of things that first timers come up against, the industry is geared for how much mark up on any particular brand, so forget all that you’ve received and give Costco a go, it’s good to shop around so you know for sure, they are just as good/bad as any other clinic, do not think for one moment that if you pay more from a “fancy office” that your somehow going to get “better” service or product, Costco sell basically the same HAs with a different name (rebranded models) don’t listen to anyone saying this is the “best” for your dad’s hearing, the best one is the one he’s most happy with, so you need to trial a few different brands to know for sure, Costco has 180 return policy so thats a pretty good trial.

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#3

Each audiologist / business can choose the price themselves.

You’re not just paying for the Aids, you’re also paying for their service and experience.

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The Real Cost of Hearing Aids?
The Real Cost of Hearing Aids?
#4

This is great advice, IMO

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#5

The single most important factor in success here will be the person who fits the hearing aids and your comfort working problems with them. If you are really comfortable with them and they do a good job, it is worth extra rather than feeling like “these don’t work so well, but they never listen to me when I go in to them” as the frustration adds to the injury of not being able to hear.

Costco is a great place to start if that works for you. Give them a try. If you don’t hit it off with them, work your way up. Where do friends who are very happy with their hearing aids go? I was blessed to have two friends reference the same audiologist. I’d be going to her if the VA hadn’t come through for me.

WH

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#6

I found it for 1200 (220) on eBay, fyi.

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#7

Well with all things being equal the obvious answer is go with the cheaper price. As far as insurance goes the warranty will cover you for a certain number of years. You should check into it. When the warranty is close to expiring you send the aids to the manufacturer saying something is wrong and they’ll send you a new pair. As far as ebay goes, you admit to being new at this. eBay means to make sure you get a valid warranty. It also means you will need to find an audiologist to program the aids. That’s up to you. Remember most states have a time period to return your aids for a full refund. Have you checked out Costco

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#8

Fortunately my dad has a good insurance plan that covers part of the cost so we were hoping to go for a step above Costco. Just pick the cheapest audiologist then?

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#9

@user108: No. Pick the audiologist who seems the most genuinely committed to your Dad’s wellbeing.

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#10

So this is what I was saying, nothing wrong them,what makes you think that Costco is below par? I mentioned that they are just as good as anyone else and just a 3rd of the price, just because you pay more does not mean a better outcome, Costco have premium models of HAs at a 3rd of the price, I don’t think you should discount them just because they have some of the best deals available cost wise,but then again,if your not paying the full cost of them, then I guess it doesn’t really matter, don’t forget tho, in some cases there’s some things that the insurance doesn’t cover.

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#11

Of course that’s important too, I wouldn’t have him buy from someone who doesn’t seem to care and is just trying to rush and make as many sales as possible. But I don’t know if the most empathetic audiologist is worth paying an extra $2100 for.

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#12

The price. Maybe I’m wrong and hearing aids are part of the medical billing looney world where an aspirin costs $50 and prices don’t make any sense, but I would have to think that a $5000 hearing aid is at least a little better than a $1500 one.

I understand that a lot of people are really happy with their HAs from Costco, and the difference between $1500 and $5000 HAs could be very minimal for most people.

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#13

@user108: Of course, there’s a balance ro be strick. I just wanted to propose that the audi’s personal “chemistry” with your dad should be entered into the equation, too.

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#14

Oh definitely your right here, it’s pretty crazy out there all right.

But what if it was the same HA, would you feel differently, Costco models are just rebranded with a different name.

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#15

I paid $6511.00 Canadian for Widex Moment 440’s 5 months ago from Amplifon.
Ontario Gov’t kicked in $1000.00,insurance (Sun Life) kicked in $300.00.Huck

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#16

Make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Some places sell the aid with a limited number of follow up visits/adjustments. Some offer free everything (batteries, domes, receivers, warranty issues) for a certain number of years. Some offer unlimted visits and supplies for the life of the aid. Some offer loaners if your need to be sent in. Ask for the details…

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#17

Here’s the thing. Real hearing aids come from one of the big six companies the make HAs. The Costco HAs come from those companies, not some fly-by-night “chinesium” outfit. The difference is model and markup. The Costco people don’t work on commission. They show up to work, presumably to help people. If they can help your dad, then it is worth checking out. If you don’t like them, everything (including the membership fee) is refundable. I think just not molds if you need molds. They would probably be able to refund those too, if you ask nice. For six months trial. Only better deal is the VA. (If he’s eligible, that’s a no-brainer.).

Seriously, the rapport with the HCP is critical. Focus on that.

WH

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#18

As has been mentioned, it’s understanding what the price covers. My Widex 440 packages include 4 years warranty, unlimited fine tuning appointments, batteries and access to remote care (where you have a neckloop and can have adjustments made remotely at home). You may choose the cheaper option but then outlay a lot more expense with follow up appointments depending on what’s covered. If you go for a specific brand you will get the best service from a fitter who concentrates on specific brands. Someone fitting Widex and perhaps one other brand will have really learnt about the fitting process. Some companies fit multiple brands and then can not have detailed knowledge about any specific one and subsequently make fitting errors. Widex use the sensogram which is integral for their sound & set up. This experience or willingness to follow the set up, is probably the most critical factor for getting the best results. I see you are considering the 220’s. Widex has a very natural sound with many fitting options. A custom fit will usually deliver best results. The 330 & 440 will add in additional features. For example the 440 has wind noise reduction and speech in noise. These features mean I can hear in noisy situations and when out walking on windy days. A good fitter should be happy to spend the time discussing the options.

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#19

@tinkyp: This is a great post. It should help the OP, and anyone in a similar situation.

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#20

A couple of thoughts: if audis are recommending Moment 220 rather than 440, it would suggest to me that either your dad’s hearing loss is not that bad, or that your dad is rarely in the noisy, multiple-conversation social situations that are helped by higher-level HAs like the 440. If your dad actually does socialize a lot and would actually benefit from higher-level HAs, that might be a reason to go to Costco. He could get higher-level HAs at Costco for less than the lower-level HAs at an independent audi.

Your dad should try more than one brand of HAs. Some people find Oticon much better, some say Widex and others say Phonak. There doesn’t appear to be any rhyme or reason to this; it’s just personal preference, and the perceived differences can be large.

A HA that sounds “natural” rather than “harsh” or “robotic” is not necessarily the HA that will provide the best speech recognition. IMO it’s better to concentrate on optimal speech recognition rather than natural sound. Others may disagree.

Most independent audis specialize in selling and programming only a couple of different HA brands. Make sure that you don’t buy a particular brand of HA from a particular audi unless that audi specializes in selling and programming that brand. Hope this helps.

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