You have a good point there.
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Any hearing aid dispenser is a roll of the dice. There are good and bad ones just about everywhere.
In my case, Costco has been pretty good. Their aids are much cheaper than most other places and their service and return policies among the best. Also, their staff are not on commission.
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I was in a similar situation to you although I am 48. I have congenital hearing loss that I have been able to manage with ok without really realising the toll on my energy it was taking. I got hearing aids a month ago and while it hasn’t been easy adjusting to the world sounding different, you do adjust and it is so much better being able to join in conversations. Do your research, I trialled the Lumity which would have cost me $7k (Australian dollars) and then through research found that the similar level Signia 7AX is sold under the Specsavers generic brand (exactly the same device from the same manufacturer) for $3k less than that. The service is a little more rushed because they are high volume but they know what they are doing and follow best practices. Good luck.
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Before I got my hearing test, I had been accusing my husband of mumbling. My daughter came home for Christmas last year and she said “it’s not dad, maybe you should get a hearing test”. That Christmas I struggled to hear her almost all the time so that made up my mind for me.
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And, I would add – do it now. You cannot change the years that you – and others around you – have struggled with your hearing loss, but you can improve the quality of your remaining years. As others have said, hearing aids won’t give you perfect hearing, but they can improve your hearing, reduce listening fatigue, and improve your relationships with others, which is especially important at our age.
“Time is like a river. You cannot touch the same water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again. Enjoy every moment of your life!”
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I am going to see what the audiologist says next week and what my insurance covers then take a trip to the new Costcos and see what the say.
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Excellent plan.
We all have our own type of hearing loss. I wish I hadn’t delayed getting hearing aids that work.
I picked my first supplier from the Yellow Pages phone book! That’s not a recipe for success.
DaveL
Toronto
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When you go to Audiologist/Costco, be sure to ask for a copy of your audiogram. You will be able to attach it to your profile on this forum for an even better experience.
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I just left Costcos and nobody comes close to what they offered so I scheduled an appointment but the soonest I can get in is six weeks. I have waited this long. They seem to have good brands that have great reviews.
Just like one poster said, I’m rolling the dice with an audiologist so why not Costco. Also, Costco was going to be a price I can afford.
I was actually going to scrap the idea last night until I talked to the people at Costco.
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I have been doing a whole lot of research on HA and services and ended up at Costco. I am looking at two HA, the Philips 9040 and Jaba Pro 10. If I was to choose right now I would choose the Jabra for the versatility of the app, any thoughts would be appreciated.
To start with, you really can’t go wrong. They’re all good aids. Anything that lets you make a choice is a fine way to do it. However, are you exceptionally “techy” and like to miss with things? I think of myself as fairly so that way, but I really don’t want to mess with my hearing aids and don’t even have my aids paired to the app. I’d be inclined to wait and see what the Costco person has to say, although my personal leanings if I were getting a new aid from Costco would likely be the Phillips. Some consideration should likely be given to what your audiogram is like. But again, you can’t go wrong. You’re taking the important step of getting your hearing tested and considering hearing aids.
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Most modern HAs can deal with most prescriptions similarly well. The extent to which a particular HA will deal with your particular hearing loss is much more about the audiologist than the equipment, within a particular level of technology. For example, top tier HAs, programmed by an audi with a poor understanding of your needs and how the tech can be used to help will be significantly less useful than a 2nd or 3rd tier HA programmed by someone who really knows their stuff.
Trial, trial, trial before committing is key. And if necessary go to different audis and use your Spidey senses to see who you feel is in it to help you and not just for the money.
Oh, and Do.It.Now!!! Get the best you can afford… life is too short and precious moments too few to allow them to get lost due to poor hearing!!!
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I am going to see what the audiologist says and go from there. I am not very technical at all but my kids are 
, but I like the idea of really being able to zone in what right for me, especially being the fist time I have had hearing aids, I think my response would have more variables that someone that has had hearing aids.
[quote=“Chuck_B, post:9, topic:80609, full:true”]
The one thing I have learned is how important the Audiologist is and that’s the scary part. I know Costco and Sam’s are a real roll of the dice. [/quote]
I’ve had hearing aids now for 8 years. I’ve dealt with private audiologists, Costco, and Sam’s. I’ve had good experiences with all of them. And I’ve had not-so-good experiences with all of them.
In picking a hearing care professional, first find out if s/he follows best practices ( https://hearing up.com/best-practices-checklist ). The easiest one to find out about is whether the practitioner uses REM (real ear measurement). Costco, for example, requires that all of their hearing aid fitters use REM. Some of the Costco fitters are certified audiologists with an advanced college degree while others are Hearing Instrument Specialists with less advanced training. If you prefer an audiologist, you may have to shop around, but you can find them at Costco.
Now that you are in the Costco system, you can use any Hearing Care Professional. You don’t have to stick with the one you started with - although there are benefits in sticking with the person who knows you best unless you’re dissatisfied. You can also use any Costco anywhere, which is especially handy when you’re traveling. You can make returns at any Costco. You can shop around for the fitter you’re most comfortable with.
Hearing aids often require adjusting after the initial fit. Once you get out in the real world and have experience in different environments, you may need to go back to having the settings tweaked. So it’s important to have someone with whom you can communicate easily.
With regard to choice of hearing aids at Costco, I have had experience only with the Rexton Bi-Core and it has been excellent in meeting my needs. It will be receiving an upgrade in a few months, so I will be returning it and replacing it with the newer version - one of the benefits of buying at Costco since I’ve had them less than 180 days. Rexton hearing aids are made by Signia and are identical to Signia’s top of the line model but they are sold under the Rexton brand name at Costco.
Users here rave about the Philips HearLinks, My sister has a pair and says that they are as good as her Phonak hearing aids. I don’t think that you can go wrong with them.
I don’t know the Jaba’s other than that they are made by ReSound. I’ll leave it to others to comment on them.
Best of luck.
This is exactly the correct message. Look at Costco for good audiologists and affordable pricing.
Again. Agree about Costco.
I’m kind of excited but I have about five weeks 
. I have researched the subject for some time so I think I did my due diligence. As long as everyone else does their job this should work out well.
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If you can’t afford hearing aids thru an audiologist, get over the counter aids, go to Costco, or do something to be able to hear. If you simply pass on your hearing, your hearing will worsen and hearing aids in the future will be less effective. You are risking dementia if you give up the struggle to hear.
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I was talking to a Costco hearing aid fitter and she said that they have more trouble getting support from Jabra.
She says they sell the Phillips more than the other two brands. That’s not surprising since they warn you about the support issue with Jabra. So that’s something to think about.
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Thanks 
that’s good to know.