Costco Pricing Model

Hearing Aids
#1

I am curious what you get from Costco when you buy $1,500 HAs from them. I know in the private clinic I use, the bundle includes:

HAs
Charging case that has an internal battery
90 day trial/return period
Initial Hearing test
Fittings that include REM (more than 1 session)
Cleaning and HA maintenance every scheduled 6 months until 3 years
Drop in for repairs during first 3 years
Hearing test at the 2 & 3 year mark
Send in HAs for end of warranty check
Wax guards as needed
Batteries as needed

I looked at Costco’s web site and other than the initial test, HAs with fitting and trial period, it was not clear what their bundle includes.

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#2

In the US you get:

HAs
Charging case that has an internal battery
180 day trial/return period
Initial Hearing test
Fittings that include REM (more than 1 session)
Cleaning and HA maintenance every time you bring your aids in
Drop in for repairs during first 3 years
Hearing test at the 2 & 3 year mark
Send in HAs for end of warranty
Wax guards as needed
Domes as needed
2 year loss warranty - they’ll replace one lost HA/ear for 2 years at no charge (i.e. left will be replaced once; right will be replaced once; but if you lose theleft or right aid twice, you pay for the 2nd loss)

If you need disposable batteries, you’re on your own. You can buy 48 Kirkland (Costco) batteries for $9 for 312s or 13s, and I think the 675 price is the same.

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#3

I’d add that the free domes, wax guards and cleaning continue past the 3 year mark.

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#4

I don’t have any experience with Costco yet (appointment is next week, fingers crossed) but when I talked to the Costco specialist in Canada they pretty much said the same things mentioned by @philbob57. So I assume the same “bundle” is in Costco Canada as well.

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#5

Aren’t in-store repairs free even after three years but factory repairs have a repair charge?

#6

Some audiologist charge for REM fittings or include only a limited number or for a limited time in the bundle pricing.

#7

About the only in-store repair I can think of is a receiver change. There will be a charge for a receiver change if your warranty is expired.

#8

This might be the policy, but I’ve found that if you’re going in for anything else, they will give you some new battery bundles for free.

I have size 13s in the new Jabras. They go at least a week. That’s 24 weeks for $9 or almost a full year for $18! Trivial cost even if I didn’t get some free ones. :+1:

#9

Yes, same at my local Costco here in Canada.

Jim G

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#10

Yep. The bundles are relatively the same across Costco’s in Canada and the US.

Depending on where you are (I’m in Ontario, Canada), the Assistive Devices Plan covers $1,000 ($500 per ear) and if you have additional insurance, it can cover 50% which I’ve seen come up to $250 total in some cases.

You do have to pay for the impressions if you get the shell for the RIC, but I paid around $110 for both ears. Hope that helps you out.

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#11

Hearing tests are free at Costco whether you buy aids or not, and, at least at my store, they recommend an annual test for us seniors.

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#12

I wonder if the Costco price and bundle has to be attractive enough to tolerate the cost as an out-of-pocket as, according to my Costco, they don’t get involved in, or accept insurances. Although I have Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance that covers “$2500/3 years for hearing aids”, I have not yet been able to get BCBS to do anything other than reject the claim forms I have submitted.

Considering taking advantage of Costco’s 180 day return period until I figure this problem out.

#13

Just in case you missed this step, I’ll mention that we had to call BCBS to make sure we knew which forms to use and what documentation was required. We had some screwy steps to go through, and we had to wait, but they’ve eventually delivered a check.

My insurance is the same, at least on the surface. BCBS/Illinois administers the program on behalf of my old employer, so YMMV. The benefit is supposed to go to in-network audiologists, but someone has told them to cover Costco. We have been reimbursed for 3 or 4 sets of aids.

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#14

Depending on what private market pricing is, you may still be less out of pocket at Costco even with no reimbursement.

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#15

I had the similar insurance coverage - $1000/ear every three years - thru BCBS Texas. I purchased from Costco, and indeed they don’t do anything with insurance claims. Took me awhile to track down the right claim forms from BCBSTX to submit for reimbursement, but it eventually worked out just fine.

Costco also gave me the medical diagnosis codes related to HAs and hearing loss. Not sure if that was important, but I included those and a copy of my audiogram with my submission claim. You could ask if they have diagnosis codes for your re-file, or I could look in my files to see if I kept them?

I started my HA journey with a private Audiologist, but out-of-pocket cost to me if I would have stayed with them would have still been higher after insurance reimbursement, vs. Costco cost without any reimbursement. So I was willing to proceed with Costco regardless, but insurance thing eventually worked out too.

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#16

Interesting - here in New Zealand the audiologists working at Costco are able to make a claim to the “federal” government for the small government subsidy on new hearing aids.
However I don’t think it is a complicated or burdensome process.