I think it’s all down to where you live @DaveL I was in many ways forced to adopt a partial DIY approach… The NHS is a brilliant service, with excellent A.uD’s, but the sheer volume of HOH they see, severely curtails the service, appointments take months, my local NHS Audiology Department (21 miles away) covers an area the size of Belgium, with probably around 6 A.uD’s, whom are not all full time, and a potential client base of about 340k, so they will probably have around, 30 or 40k HOH clients on their books, the sheer weight of numbers, and the logistics of getting there, is a provable nightmare… So for me the DIY approach is more logical than anything else… Private A.uD’s are thin on the ground, perhaps as few as 10 in the Scottish Highlands, of them, I can only think of 2 whom I would highly recommend, none of them use best practices like REM, well apart from the NHS whom do… So I use the NHS REM settings, and transfer those into my privately bought aids, using Target, needs must, and works for me 
And yes, living in a beautiful area has it’s drawbacks especially with HOH folks, the choices just aren’t there, so you make do…Or you DIY. Cheers Kev 
Thanks for the warning. I also got taken and I am a 25 years plus hearing aid wearer. I went to a non profit in Ohio that was covered by my insurance. Unfortunately, all the audiologists were new graduates with little experience. The fit was not right and I lost my in the ear half shell while walking at the park within the first month. I had to pay a steep price to replace it. They also gave me a paper stating what my cost would be for future visits after the first year ($30.) but then upped the price to $70. I wrote to the headquarters of the organization and reported them to my insurance. The insurance company agreed that they must abide by the original agreement. The hearing aid facility director wrote me a letter which was very self serving basically telling me what a wonderful organization they were but agreed to give me the service at the original quoted price as a “courtesy”. If I had gone to small claims court I think I would have won by default because they would not have shown up. I urge anyone to go to small claims court or fight back in cases like this. After I got the original pricing for service, they changed the signs in the office stating the new price but with a note that this applied only to new patients and that others would be giving their original pricing for service as stated in their invoice. So, I was able to help others form being ripped off.
Thanks Kev. Much appreciated.
I am so lucky that I qualify and was awarded hearing aid coverage due to exposure to loud noise at work. However, different audiologists have interpreted their responsibility differently. I think it’s hard to provide help and get paid for the time it takes. I was with my second audiologist for 8 years, then left in frustration. Setup was the reason.
My current audiologist is amazing. He’s very helpful and has worked very hard for me. Yet I think that I should be hearing better, specially in noisy environments. Yes he does REM.
DaveL
Toronto
Yeeesh. I have never EVER gone to such an outlet - or “dispensary” may be a better word? Well, my hearing loss is pretty massive, so, I always look for a new “spouse” (in addition to my current, dear hubs!) when I move to a new area and need a good audi. For me, a good audi is truly like a partner for life! I invest in that relationship as I do a marriage: time, companionship, communication, acknowledgement, gratitude … yep, all the things I work on to provide my “other” spouse - the man I live with. 
Good luck to you in future purchases and finding an audi soulmate!
I’ve found many a good dentist, doctor, even the occasional specialist by word of mouth, but I’ll be danged, I’m the ONLY one in my circle who needs and wears aids. I therefore have always had to lump through a few truly awful audis to find a partner for life.
I start my search online (realize that many review sites are no longer current with so many using only social media these days). Then I try to find out about the audi through more online searches. Then I set up “the DATE” and see if our chemistry works. Only then do I return and start the true investment in developing a relationship with that audi. Over time they know my issues and goals, and we become more like family members, really caring about each other. That’s when I know I’ve found GOLD! I still keep in touch with my audi of 1.5 yrs ago, always sharing info and staying in contact with him as I’m now enjoying a new audi and my budding relationship with her. I feel blessed to have found these two audis!