QUESTIONS
QUESTIONS TO ASK HEARING AID PROVIDERS
1) Are you an Audiologist or a Hearing Instrument Dispenser?
2) How many manufacturer product lines do you carry?
3) What is included in the price of the hearing aids?
4) What is the warranty on the hearing aids?
5) How long is my trial period and can it be extended?
6) What testing do you do to assure that the hearing aid is working appropriately for my hearing loss?
7) How much money do you keep if the hearing aid is not right for me?
8) Do you repair hearing aids on site?
9) What is your follow up routine with the hearing aids?
10) Will the hearing aids work with telephones and cell phones?
11) What happens if I lose a hearing aid?
12) How long do you expect these hearing aids to work for me?
13) What Assistive Listening Devices do you carry or have available?
14) What happens at the end of my warranty period?
15) What happens if my hearing aids have numerous repairs?
OUR ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR PROVIDERS:
(More reading required here!)
1) Olympic Hearing Center employs only audiologists. Audiologists have made a commitment to the field with a minimum of a Masters degree for their education and now all those coming out will have a Doctorates similar to a pharmacist. The extra education, training and requirements provide you with a higher level of knowledge and care.
2) This is important in that if the dispenser carries only one manufacturer, it limits the choices they have to fit your hearing loss and lifestyle with. This often occurs with franchises that have very high overhead (marketing) costs for which you end up paying.
3) Olympic Hearing Center's price is all inclusive. Our listed price includes extended warranty (2 years) with one time accidental damage and loss coverage for two years. At minimum it includes 2 year in house service that includes SCHEDULED ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, 2 years in house batteries, battery tester, Global Dry and store box to protect the hearing aids against moisture damage, and all the supplies you need to maintain the hearing aids.
4) Two years is our basic. Before the warranty is up you will be notified and given the opportunity to extend the warranty. Most basic warranties are for one year.
5) Federal and state law requires a 30 day trial period. Olympic Hearing Center routinely gives a 60 day trial period and will extend that time if there are any difficulties or concerns.
6) Real Ear Insertion Gain Technology is the industry standard for testing the actual performance in YOUR ears as opposed to the manufacturer projections. This is a wonderful tool when used properly. As a new user, you will most likely not meet optimal performance initially but can make that your long term goal. REIG, when used with live voice is also outstanding to train your spouse and family members about what you can and cannot hear even optimally aided. This helps the family to understand and work with you and your hearing loss.
7) In Washington State, a dispenser may keep $150.00 or 10% of the charge for the hearing aids, whichever is less. Olympic Hearing Center does not charge for the trial period with the hearing aids it recommends. We do charge $400.00 for CIC fittings that we consider inappropriate.
8) We do routine maintenance, earmold repair/upkeep, and hearing aid shell repair on site.
9) Each time you visit our office, we schedule your next visit before you leave. We review your records, the condition of your ears and hearing aids and initiate a program to prevent difficulties with your hearing aids. For In The Ear style hearing aids this is generally every three months.
10) Virtually every hearing aid we recommend has at the least a telecoil and more often multiple choices for programs that will work with both land lines and cell phones. Please note that not all phones are made to work with hearing aids and some will actually interfere with cell phones. If you are in the market for a new cell phone, make sure that it not only does not interfere with hearing aids but will actively work with them.
11) All of the major manufacturers have a program to help replacement of lost hearing aids. Our favorite manufacturer charges $150.00 to replace a lost hearing aid but does not charge for accidental damage (once).
12) I design hearing aids to provide for your needs for a minimum of five years and am not surprised when they last longer. This often precludes the sexiest hearing aids because they do not provide for the long term needs of most of my patients. Before encountering significant difficulties, the Completely In the Canal will average about 3 years, half shells about 5 years and the trusty Behind The Ear about 7 years.
13) Phonak has recently come out with the My Link- a personal loop system that will work with any hearing aid with a telecoil- to enhance their easy and smart link remote microphone systems. This is a personal FM system that works beautifully for monaural listeners and people with reduced speech discrimination to function in difficult listening systems. There are an incredible number of products out for the hearing impaired and hearing aid user. We do not try to stock them all but try to keep abreast of the technology so that we can inform you of the availability of products you might need and get you to the best provider with the best prices.
14) If you have read the above, you realize that my clients have a custom designed program to keep their hearing aids performing at their best. We have continual training with our patients and have reprogrammed the hearing aids as their lifestyle needs and hearing losses have changed. At the end of the 2 year warranty period, our standard, we retest the hearing and send the hearing aids back for reconditioning at the manufacturer at which time they routinely replace the microphones and receivers that are 80% of the cause of repairs. When the hearing aids are back we reprogram them with the latest audiological information and any changes you might want before the warranty and service period expire.
15) Our favorite manufacturer (not our only manufacturer!) is Phonak. They are the only hearing aid company in the world with the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. They have a no lemon guarantee. If you have multiple repairs that are not your fault they will replace the hearing aids for the length of the warranty.