Questions to ask before you buy hearing aids

Hearing aids are a large purchase, and prices are hard to compare because clinics package them differently. These questions help you understand what you are being offered. A good provider will be glad you asked them.

About the recommendation

• Why are you recommending these hearing aids for me? The answer should connect to your test results and the situations you said were hardest.
• What are my other options, including less expensive ones? Most manufacturers make hearing aids at several technology levels. You should be shown more than one.
• Would over-the-counter hearing aids be reasonable for my hearing loss? In the United States, adults with mild to moderate hearing loss can buy hearing aids without a prescription. An honest provider will tell you whether they would suit you.
• Do I need one hearing aid or two?

About the price

• What is the total price, and what does it include? Ask whether follow-up visits, adjustments, cleanings and repairs are included, and for how long.
• Is the price bundled or itemized? A bundled price covers the devices and a period of care together. An itemized, or unbundled, price charges separately for the devices and each visit. Neither is wrong, but you can only compare two quotes if you know which you are looking at.
• Can I have that in writing?
• Do you work with my insurance or hearing benefit? Ask how much it covers and what you will pay yourself.
• Is financing available, and on what terms?

About the trial and warranty

• How long is the trial period? Trial and return rules vary by state and by clinic.
• If I return them, what do I get back? Some clinics keep a fitting or restocking fee.
• How long is the warranty, and what does it cover? Ask about repairs, and separately about loss and damage.
• What does a repair cost once the warranty ends?

About the fitting and follow-up

• How will you check that the hearing aids are set correctly for my hearing? Listen for real-ear measurement, where a small microphone in your ear canal measures the sound the hearing aid is delivering.
• How many follow-up visits are included, and when is the first one?
• How quickly can I be seen if something is wrong?
• Can another clinic adjust these hearing aids if I move or change provider? Some hearing aids can only be programmed by the company that sold them.

About daily life

• Will they connect to my phone?
• Are they rechargeable, or do they use disposable batteries?
• How do I clean and look after them?

Signs you are being informed

• You were shown more than one option, at more than one price.
• The provider explained what you would gain and give up at each level.
• You were given a written quote and time to think.
• The trial period and return terms were explained without you having to ask.

Signs you are being sold to

• A discount that expires today.
• Only one option, usually the most expensive.
• Vague answers about what is included.
• No written quote.
• Pressure to decide before you leave.

On Hearsay, patients rate the treatment plan as its own part of their care, including whether options and costs were clear and whether they felt informed. For the rest of what to look for, see how to choose a hearing clinic.