Today JR purchased a new set of hearing aids that were loaned to him for our Cost vs. Benefit Hearing Aid Study. The first time he purchased aids from us was about five years ago when he participated in our study of a new economical hearing aid. At that time he had a manageable hearing loss that was more frustrating to him than debilitating. I will never forget his answer to my question, “why did you choose to buy these hearing aids from us?” He said, “I like the price of these compared to the benefit I get from them. I could afford to spend anything for hearing aids but I would rather take a vacation to the Bahamas than spend $6000 on a set of hearing aids.
Since I met JR we have loaned new hearing aids to over 3000 people. In exchange, they share their opinion on a pre and post fitting questionnaires. Their perceptions of the value of better hearing determines their decision to purchase hearing aids but, at what cost? Most of these people evaluated their decision to buy their study aids, just like JR did. Would they rather take a vacation, buy a new piece of furniture, send the kids money, or hear better?
You should try a premium level of hearing aid technology if it’s affordable. These aids are amazing; however, an economical model may be a good value, depending on your lifestyle.
JR perceives more value in better hearing aids today because his hearing loss is worse and his lifestyle has changed. He did not choose the most expensive model and said no to the cheapest hearing aid. He found that an upper middle level of technology was the best value for him, and he is still able to take his scheduled trip to California.
