To you it’s simply a matter of price. But the engineering challenges of designing a hearing aid with user-replaceable rechargeable batteries may be significant. There may be tradeoffs. Will the hearing aids get bigger? Will dust and waterproofing suffer? It’s difficult to say. You’re seeing an unqualified good; I’m seeing the potential for qualifications.
Over the counter HAs cost about the same as the Oticon charger. The three years and the current HA manufacturers will be charging much less than $5000 to $10000!
A large percentage of us who have used hearing aids for decades probably don’t care about this. 40 years ago they were huge. No way the run of the mill hearing aid will ever be that big again. If they were, I’m pretty sure I won’t care as long as I get clear speech and long run time.
Dan
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Not everyone agrees with you, which is why government forcing rules on everyone is wrong. Personally, I will NEVER buy another hearing aid with a replaceable battery. They go dead at the worst times and are a pain to change the batteries. I now use rechargeable hearing aids and never have a problem with the charge running out.
Sure, force all cell phones and other portable devices to have replaceable batteries, and the days of smaller, lighter phones (and hearing aids) is over. You have to increase the size of devices to account for removable batteries. Not to mention it is much harder to seal a device against dirt and water when you have to be able to open it to replace a battery.
I’ll take smaller, lighter, and better sealed over being able to use the same device for 10 years.
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Yes, you are welcome to the rechargeables! I think there should be options to fit both sides here, cuz many of us do still prefer a battery aid.
And here I sit, ONE MONTH after my “never failing” rechargeable Phonak Lumity Life aid has been in the shop to have its battery changed before the 3-year warranty runs out. My only other pair of redundant rechargeable aid (identical to those in the shop) can’t be worn cuz my audi forgot to (edit: run Feedback Control) a month ago when I dropped the other pair off, so they wail at any volume all day long.
Today, for the first time in a few years, I dug out my good ol’ reliable Phonak Marvel aids from the mothballs. Luckily I have size13 batteries on hand. Cuz today - one month + a few days after I got the rechargeable LOANER Lumity Life aids from my audi, they now go DINGLE-DONGLE every minute on the minute.
Luckily, my appt set up 3 weeks ago with my audi is in 1.5 hrs, so I can coast on the old Marvels. They still sound VERY good. 
I’ve got 'em all paired + connected to my cell phone and feel relieved to have this option at my fingertips.
When I travel to Europe this summer, these Marvels and their batteries will either be the main pair I wear or serve as my only backup pair. I just don’t feel comfortable with the gear needed for rechargeables in multiple countries that have different power standards. Not to mention the long flight during which my rechargeable batteries will DIE for lack of charge … well, I could and should add to my gear bag with a portable stick charger. But it’s the GEAR, the REDUNDANCY that drives me nuts with rechargeables.
I just want a choice.
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They’re not prohibiting rechargeable batteries, just requiring that worn-out rechargeable batteries be easily replaceable.
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Clear speech, long run time, and potentially shorter lifespan due to possible issues with water and dust-proofing that may occur when you add another point of entry for water and dust. There may be tradeoffs.