How Much do Hearing Aids Cost One of the first questions a hearing aid shopper asks themselves when they begin the process of buying a hearing aid is: How much does a hearing aid cost, and what are the expected prices for the different types of Hearing Aids? Unfortunately, many people run into a road block when they research online as to how much an in the ear costs or behind the ear Hearing Aids really is going to cost. This article will attempt to answer this important question, but keep in mind that hearing aid prices can vary drastically from region to region.
In the Ear Hearing Aids (ITE) or In the Canal Hearing Aids (ITC):
There are two pricing components in purchasing an In the Ear Hearing Aid, and that is the "ready to wear" type In the Ear hearing aids and the "custom molded" in the ear hearing aids. Many Hearing Aids companies only sell ready to wear hearing aids, and they are just shipped right to your door. The average "ready to wear- In the Ear" Hearing Aids will cost between $300 and $700, depending on the quality of the hearing aid - Century Hearing Aids is in this category. The well known brands - like Oticon or Resound or Starkey or Phonak or Audibel or Siemens, these companies only sell "custom molded in the ear hearing aids, and they higher the priced, but also come with a longer the warranty and much more upfront service. The custom mold costs of in the ear hearing aids usually run $900-$2000, depending on the type and features of the hearing aid. Keep in mind that "custom mold In the Ear Hearing Aids normally cost more to create, because they are custom, molds need to be made of your ear, than the Ready to Wear In the Ear Hearing Aids, and the process of creating the custom mold in the ear takes longer and is also more expensive.
In recent years, websites like Amazon, Ebay, Walmart, and others have started selling Ready to Wear - In the Ear hearing aids also. Many of these manufacturers that sell these hearing aids come from China. Such ‘ready to wear" hearing aids are very inexpensive, usually costing $100-$600 and in most cases last 6 months to one year before they need to be replaced.
Open Fit or Thin Tube Hearing Aids or Mini BTE Hearing Aids:
Open Fit or Thin Tube Hearing Aids are almost the least expensive type of hearing aid. This is mainly due to the fact that the cost of materials for building an Open Fit is because the technology is still does a great job, but has been on around for at least 10 years and is readily available. For a very basic Open Fit or Thin Tube Hearing Aid or mini behind the ear, one can expect to spend $400 to $900 per aid, although other options such as t coil, directional microphones or auto-adaptive directional microphones or extra channels, will certainly escalate this price.
Behind the Ear Hearing Aids or BTE Hearing Aids:
Behind the Ear Hearing Aids cost more than Open Fits or Thin Tube Hearing Aids to fit because there is the additional work of programming for severe to profound hearing loss and most customers will need a custom ear mold which ends up taking couple of weeks to make, will cost more all around - the components are larger, the microphone is larger to accommodate for severe to profound hearing loss. If a consumer were to buy just a behind the ear hearing aid, the hearing aids, the tubes, the batteries and the ear molds, shipping, they will likely spend $800-$900 depending on the features or the hearing aid. To have a someone fit you for a behind the ear hearing aid, one can expect to spend in the neighborhood of $900-$2000. Again, options such as 6 to 8 channels, t coil, or auto magnetic t coil, directional microphones, will escalate this price. Many times a very simple 2 channel hearing aid does better for someone with severe to profound hearing loss.
Receiver in the Canals hearing Aids
In most cases, Receiver in the Canals or Receiver in the Ear hearing Aids will have the highest initial cost, and will vary greatly depending on the features of the hearing aid for instance bluetooth or connecting to an iphone. The reason why Receiver in the Canals hearing Aids tend to cost more is due to the new technology involved - and type of technology - where the receiver is in the ear. In the majority of cases, a Receiver in the Canals hearing Aids will cost about $1,500-$4,000 per hearing aid.