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By Tami Klink
Wednesday, May 6 2009, 01:52 PM
*Note – As stated before, I recently decided to investigate what’s out there for an alternative to spending thousands of dollars on a hearing aid. These are my opinions. The company that I chose to do this investigation on has given me their full permission to write about any and all findings and I have not been compensated, gifted or given any other type of service that a normal paying customer would not receive. The staff was not told of my ‘project’ and I will be returning the BTE Hearing Aids to the company.
Well, it’s been almost 3 weeks since I started this little project. My goal was to find an alternative for those out there that simply cannot afford or don’t have the insurance coverage that will cover the cost of hearing aids/testing/fitting/ect. I’ve talked to quite a few people and have received emails from even more with their own stories on the frustrations associated with hearing loss and hearing aids. Many thanks to David Wright, President and COO of America Hears for being a willing participant and letting me come to my own conclusions.
When I first contacted him, he sent me an email with a quote in it from the early days of their company getting started. I think it sums up what all of us feel and think when it comes to the price of our hearing aids. Here is David Wright's quote, “When we first started out, I told Henry Smith, our Founder and CEO, that we could charge thousands of dollars for our hearing aids. I also said that we could include 2 round trip tickets to Europe and a 42” plasma television." Henry replied, "No, let’s just give them a great deal on the hearing aids.”
Here are the conclusions, in my opinion, of the America Hears product.
Pros:
- PRICE! When you look at how much companies/audiologists/manufacturers are charging for all of us HOH to hear and stay in the hearing world, it’s almost like buying a used car every 3-5 years. There are a lot of us out here that don’t have insurance that will cover any of this. So, when you are looking at (in my case) an average cost of $3,000 - $4,000 per hearing aid, a lot of HOH just don’t have the money to pay for these things. At $995.00 per aid (BTE Freedom LOF), this is around 25 – 30% of what it would cost me to go somewhere else. That’s a big difference!
- Service – I called AH 3 times with questions on the aid itself as well as programming when using their software. I was connected with the correct person quickly every time. I did not feel like they were rushing to get me off of the phone and felt like I had a team working with me. They had the same goal as I did, to fine tune as well as find an aid that would work best for me. There were no excuses from any of them when I had a complex question/problem and we worked to find a solution together. Once they received my Audiological Eval./Hearing Test, I received my aids (2) within 4 working days. The additional items that came with the aids (see list in column on Arrival of AH Aids), were much appreciated, part of the package price and enabled me to learn more about the process/set-up/programming in a user friendly way.
- Quality/Sound of the Hearing Aids – This was the first time that anyone has been able to fit me with an ‘open fit’. So, I’ve been living life the past 3 weeks being able to hear the sounds that I hear normally (I have a mid-high tone loss, but hear the low tones just like a person with no hearing loss). It was a very comfortable fit and yes, I am not looking forward to going back to my 1 year old HA’s with the ear mold. I was able to hear the sounds (birds, crickets, ect.) that I hear with my current aids and once we corrected the feedback, had no problems. With a 1 year warranty, this is pretty standard in the industry. There is an extended warranty available which I would probably do just so I don’t have to worry about repair bills (if needed) after the warranty period expired. I’ve had a total of 13 (I wear one in each ear) HA’s over the past 30 years. Some were in the ear and others (recently) were BTE. AH carries both.
- Software – Learning how to program/fine tune my HA’s was a big step for me. I really appreciated being able to put programs on the HA’s based on what environment I would be spending time in. (You can put 4 different programs on the aids that I tried out and then push a button or wave a wand over the aid to change them based on the environment that you are in). It was also fun to check out all of the levels of my aids based on my loss. And, it saved me from having to make appointment and additional trips to an audiologist since one (yes, a real audiologist) was just a phone call away. This really does give more control to the person with the hearing loss. And, it is also quite an education to see what all is involved in the programming process.
- Trial Period – 60 days! And, if you are not completely satisfied, they will give you 100% of your money back (undamaged aids and accessories). There are a lot of places out there that will charge you hundreds of dollars if you try and return your HA’s. Be sure that you read the fine print on your contract at these places before you walk out of the door.
- Repairs – In my case, if I need to send my HA’s in for repair via my audiologist, it takes at least 10 days to get them back. AH has a turn around time of approximately 3 days. There is a charge for new tubing, earmolds/open fit fittings and that can be found on their website or by making a phone call/sending an email to them.
- You have to have access to a computer/laptop with internet access. If you don’t, you will not be able to use the software to fine tune or put new programs on your hearing aids. We all know that the person that is programming our aids does not ‘hear’ sounds the way that we do. There is always going to be some fine tuning that needs to be done no matter where you get your HA’s. So, if you have the patience and are willing to learn new things, this is for you. I found that with the step by step instructions that came with the HA’s as well as the patience from the staff at AH, I didn’t have any problems with this.
- You don’t see anyone. If you are the type of person that really needs to go and see someone, this might not be for you. I compare it to having a Cadillac vs. an economy car. But, if you are looking to save thousands of dollars and have more control over your hearing needs, you will probably like this.
- You need to have an audiological evaluation/hearing test that is less than 6 months old. I know! Some places will get you in the door and start the high pressure sales technique on you or make you feel guilty about not having the training or background to do this. Keep in mind, that they are really starting to get worried about this new way of getting hearing aids. Most places know that they are probably charging you too much and they don’t like the fact that there is a company out there that is approved by the FDA, has all the licensing and professionals on staff and is still able to sell you a product that will meet your hearing loss needs for under $1,000.
- For those with a Cochlear Implant or are under the age of 18, AH will not sell you HA’s. They really do believe that this segment of the population needs to be seen in person. If you have a hearing loss that they cannot fit, they will also tell you that. You will not hear “We can help you” irregardless of your circumstances. After all, the last thing that they want is to have to deal with negative publicity or be responsible for not being able to fulfill your hearing loss needs.
- If you are not good with fine motor skills, this could possibly be difficult for you. You need to be able to work with the HA to attach different things such as fittings, software flex connectors, ect. It’s not hard, but for those that have a hard time working with small pieces; this may not be a good fit for you.
- Colors – There is a limited choice. So, if you are into the new bright colors, you will have to decide if this is important enough to go somewhere and pay for them.
There you have it! So, what am I going to do in 3-4 years when it’s time to get new HA’s? I would have to say that I will probably go this route. I like the control with the software as well as the quality/sound of the HA’s. And, being able to save lots of money has a really big influence on my decision.
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By Tami Klink
Saturday, May 2 2009, 09:40 AM
*Note: This is a series of articles on the America Hears Hearing Aid. Keep in mind that I have some strict guidelines on venturing into this area. I have not been 'gifted' anything from the company and will be returning the HA's in a couple of weeks. For more information on how all of this came about, please go to my columns titled "A little Experiment', 'Part One, America Hears' and 'Update on the arrival of America Hears Hearing Aids'.*
All that I can say is, WOW! The software that this company sends along with the hearing aids is something that I feel, finally gives the control to the person that is wearing them. I've always gone to an audiologist to get tested, fitted and programmed and there have been times when it just didn't feel like the programming was really set/adjusted to my needs. I spent Thursday morning installing the software on my laptop here at home and then 'hooking' the hearing aids up (yes, they were in my ears and on) to check out the programming options. There are so many options!
You can see what the program is based on your hearing loss. American Hears sets it for you before they ship the hearing aids out. But, as we all know, just setting these programs based on your audiological evaluation/hearing test doesn't 'catch' everything little nuance you may really need. So, you make appointments with your audi to go in and continue getting things tweaked to meet your hearing needs. Not anymore! I was able to adjust the settings, change what programs were actually on the aids (installed the telecoil one!), see what the settings were at different sound levels, ect. It really does get the wearer involved in the decisions as to what will work for you.
I was still getting some feedback with the open fit option vs. actually having earmolds. So, I gave the 800 number a call and was immediately connected with one of their audiologists. Yes, a real audiologist! Keeping in mind that I was not a candidate for an open fit last July with my new hearing aids, I really wasn't expecting to get this problem solved. Wrong. After having me go to a few programs by using the software, we actually found the problem. It seems that my ear canal processes sounds a little differently than normal and when the sound is bouncing around in there, it is hitting areas in the 3K and 4K levels that no other audiologist has ever been able to pick up. After adjusting those settings, there was no feedback. Needless to say, this once again has shown me that if you have someone or something (software) to work with, most frustrations can be overcome. I've spent the last 3 days wearing the new aids with the open fit. It is amazing how much better I am able to hear conversations since I can now hear the low tones naturally without something plugging up my ear.
I've made an appointment with my audi here in the area for next week. I will be bringing my laptop, new aids from America Hears (cost $2,010.00) and my aids that I got last July ($7,000.00) to see if I can show her via the America Hears software where the problem is and finally get the open fit that back in July would not work at their office. Needless to say, I am interested in her response to a patient coming in with software that will actually program hearing aids. I'm wondering if anyone else has done this....
On a side note, America Hears will not try and work with anyone that has a cochlear implant. There is a lot more involved with this type of fitting and you really do need to go somewhere where they have the time and expertise to do it. They will also not fit children since they feel that kids should really be seen on a regular basis in person by an audiologist. For those of you that wear hearing aids with no medical problems associated with it, you may want to check this option out. And yes, they have a 60 day trial period as well as a really good warranty. If you have old aids laying around the house and don't want to donate them to one of the many places that 'pass them on', America Hears will give you up to $50 trade-in and then send them on to a charitable organization. There is a limit of 1 trade-in per hearing aid purchased.
At this point, I've pretty much decided where I will be getting my new aids once that time comes. I really like the ability to program them here at home with the telephone support if needed as well as the savings. By that time, they may even be able to work with the FM system and have Bluetooth capability. Who knows, maybe one of these days, the hearing aid manufacturers will finally realize that there are a lot of us out here that really are capable of programming and tweaking our hearing aids online with someone guiding us. The big question is, will they finally start to realize that we will not pay the thousands of dollars to have someone else do it for us. Imagine the savings our government (V.A., D.V.R, ect.) would see if they went this route? Baffles the mind....
Have a great week!
Copyright 2009 Tami Klink
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By Tami Klink
Thursday, Apr 30 2009, 06:58 AM
*Note: This is a series of articles on my testing of the America Hears hearing aids. Keep in mind that I have some very strict criteria regarding my venturing into this area. I was not 'gifted' anything by this company and will be returning the HA's in a couple of weeks. For more information on how all of this came about, please go to my columns titled 'A little Experiment' and 'Part One, America Hears'.*
Sorry for the delay in this update! Brian's Mom had a minor stroke last Friday and I just got back to Wisconsin last night. All is well and life goes on! (ha)
I must say that when I saw the box, I was wondering why it was so big. I've always picked up my hearing aids from my audiologist and left with a small case along with a few papers. This one is about the size of a shirt box. Upon opening it, I was very impressed with the packaging. You get quite a few things in addition to your hearing aids. For those of you interested, there is also more information on the America Hears website located at www.americahears.com
Below is the list of contents:
2 Hearing aids - Freedom AD with directional microphone - Processor is AD32 (32 channels) - BTE (behind the ear) - Style is LOF
2 boxes of size 13 batteries for a total of 48 Programmer/USB Cable/Programming Cord/Instruction booklets to walk you through the programming
Memory Selector Wand Dry Aid Kit Cleaning Tool with Brush Hard Case for the HA's Soft Pouch for the HA's
Repair shipping box with foam Ribbon Connectors to program the HA's Variety pack of ear tips EZ return FEDEX label Battery Holder
FEDEX box for return of HA's if service is needed Warranty/Protection plan Info. Guide General Information Pamphlet HA Pamphlet
America Hears Virtual Office Software CD Quick Start Guide Brochure and Referral Card/Program
That's a lot of stuff! I must admit that I was a bit intimidated at first. Remember, I'm used to going to an audiologist and letting them do all of the work! But, you need to keep in mind that you are literally saving hundreds (in my case thousands) of dollars by going this route. I was also chuckling a bit as I remembered all of the times I would get after Brian to read the instructions before attempting to use a new tool or put something together.
I spent the time needed to look over all of the brochures/directions/booklets, ect. Even though I'm used to working with hearing aids, I still needed to familiarize myself with how these particular brands worked. At last, I opened the box that had the HA's in it. You will need to be in an area with good lighting so that you can compare the instruction booklet pictures with the hearing aid itself. I found the button to select which of the 3 programs I would want (they beep to correspond with the number of the program that you are on once you have the HA's in your ears and turned on). I also checked to see how to remove/insert the flex connector which will be used to fine tune the programming on the HA's. They arrived already programmed for my hearing loss, but as those of you with hearing aids know, you will need to do some fine tuning. It will be nice to have the actual CD/USB Cable/Phone support from HA to do this as many times as I wish. It will also save me from having to go to the Audi's office/schedule an appointment/go without my HA's because they are not programmed to my liking.
Now, the big moment! I inserted the batteries into each aid, tried out a couple of the ear tips to see which one fit me best and put them in my ears. The biggest difference for me was the fact that there was no ear mold to block the sounds that I normally hear. The fit was very comfortable and the HA's themselves are very lightweight. I located the volumn control and turned it down a bit since I was hearing some feedback. There was no one home while I was doing this, so I had no choice but to start talking to myself (no comments please!) and turn the TV on to see what kind of job these HA's were doing. I immediately noticed that I could 'hear' the TV at a much lower volume level vs. if I had no HA's in my ears at all. This also happens with any other aids that I've had in the past.
Today, I will be contacting America Hears to fine tune the programming on the aids. First, I will be installing the software on my computer/laptop and attempting to fine tune it myself based on the directions for this that came with the HA's. Even if I do get the programming right, I still want to interact with AH staff to see how that part of the process goes.
Will update you all later after we've completed that step and I've worn them for a few days. So far, the only thing that I can see as problems would be if you don't have the ability to read the instructions, handle the small pieces of the hearing aid, have really bad eyesight and do not know how to use a computer. But, it is also always a good idea to have someone with you so that you can ask them if they are hearing any feedback and have a conversation with to see how your new HA's are working! It's a family affair....
Have a great week!
Copyright 2009 Tami Klink
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By Tami Klink
Friday, Apr 24 2009, 08:52 AM
America Hears – A new way of getting a Hearing Aid!
This is the first of 3 columns on this subject. I will be addressing the process when dealing with America Hears. I'm a very strong advocate for going to a reputable place to get your hearing aids. So, this is a really big step for me to try it this way. The 2nd column will focus more on the programming of the HA's via the computer. The final column will be a conclusion of the experience along with the pros and cons.
For those of you that read my postings regularly, you know that I don’t advertise for businesses unless I find that they truly are providing a valuable service to those with hearing loss. This is the first time that I have actively sought out a Hearing Aid Vendor and contacted them. I can’t stress enough the number of times that I have turned down ‘free stuff’, samples, ect. from companies trying to get me to write about their products.
With that being said… Here’s how all of this came about.
Earlier this week, I started checking into Hearing Aid providers/manufacturers through-out the United States. I get so many emails every week from people with hearing loss that just cannot afford the thousands of dollars that it costs to improve their hearing. It’s very frustrating to hear that a person has basically given up and resigned themselves to not hearing what is going on around them, losing their job, giving up on going out with friends and in the worst case scenarios, losing their marriage/spouse all because they can’t hear and interact with those in the hearing world.
I had some criteria that they had to meet.
- There could be no high pressure sales tactics to the purchaser. In other words, they could not call or email you repeatedly promising the sky if you bought their product.
- There could be no complaints to any Better Business Bureaus or online in Hearing Loss chat rooms.
- They had to have a trial period with a written guarantee of a full refund if you found that their product did not meet your expectations.
- They had to have genuine audiologists that you could talk to via email or phone, not just people that have a State license/permit to sell hearing aids.
- It had to be a relatively easy process.
- The cost had to be something that just about everyone could afford.
There is only one company in the U.S. that met all of these criteria. Yes, even I was surprised! That company is America Hears out of Bristol, PA. Here’s the link to their website. http://www.americahears.com/
After finding this company, I thought it only fair that I try and communicate with the President. I sent an email from the website using their 'contact us' link and Mr. David Wright, President and COO got back to me. I explained to him what I was going to do and asked him if he would be acceptable to this. Being a business owner myself, the last thing I would want anyone to do is to publicly write a negative article on our business practices or services without the opportunity for us to respond first.
Much to my surprise, he wholeheartedly agreed to send me a pair of their hearing aids and check them out to my hearts’ content. And yes, he is also fully aware that these hearing aids will be returned to him. They are not a gift to me and he didn’t make that offer either! He did not notify the staff of the company as to what would be happening and sent my request on for service so that I would be treated like any other customer. I have proof of that when I got a call today from their billing department wanting my credit card number so that they could FedEx me my new hearing aids. It was quite obvious that the person calling me had no idea that I was doing an ‘experiment’ on their product. I told her that I had already made arrangements for payment and then quickly notified my contact so that they could confirm that the aids could be shipped out. Whew!
Here’s what has transpired so far. On Tuesday, I got an email from one of their audiologists, Judy Boersma, M.A., CCC-A. She asked me to fax, email or snail mail her my hearing test/audiological evaluation so that she could look at it and decide which hearing aid would work best for me. You will need to have a copy of this from the place that you got your hearing test/audiological evaluation done at. Again, I can't stress enough the importance of going to a reputable place to have this done! If the test is not done correctly with the proper equipment, you really have no base to build on when it comes to getting your HA's programmed. They have to give you a copy if you ask for it! It cannot be more than 6 months old. After all, you want them to have the latest information so that they can get the initial programming on your hearing aid that will work best for you. There will be more on the programming aspect of this in the next column.
I faxed what she needed and within an hour, she sent me another email asking what color I would like (beige or grey) as well as what aid she was recommending to me. They will be the Freedom 32 series - here’s the link.
http://www.americahears.com/Products32.html
To my surprise, instead of sending me the ‘home’ ear mold kit, she told me that I was a great candidate for the open fit. For those of you not familiar with this terminology, right now each of my hearing aids have an ear mold that fits snugly in my ear. Unfortunately, this also blocks my ability to hear any sounds that I would normally hear. Having an open fit enables you to still hear what you can hear normally. Kind of like listening to a CD vs. a vinyl record. When I got my aids last July, they tried an open fit, but were getting too much feedback, so I'm excited to see if it really can be done.
She also sent me a download via email on how to measure my ear for the tubing. It was very easy to do and yes, you do need another person to help you out. If you can cut well with scissors, you should have no problem doing this! The link to their step by step process is here: http://www.americahears.com/Buy.html
So, it’s now been 3 days since this process was started. I just received an email from Judy letting me know that my hearing aids are being shipped overnight via FedEx. So, I should have them tomorrow. I know that when I got my last set of aids in July 08’, it took at least a week to get them in at the Audi’s office.
The best news of all….Each BTE Digital Hearing Aid costs under $1,000. And, they have a no interest 18 month payment plan. Of course, you have to fill out a few forms to get approved for it. I did ask if there had been any problems with the recent credit crunch and so far, things are still going fine for those that have good credit and apply. And yes, there is a very good warranty.
So, I should receive these 2 HA’s sometime tomorrow. I will do my next column after a few days of trying them out as well as having any programming tweaked via their online software as needed. As those of you with HA’s know, getting new aids takes a little getting used to. No, I’m not looking forward to that, especially since I plan on keeping the relatively new ones from last July. But, if this is going to help someone out there be able to get the equipment that they need to get back into the hearing world, it’s a small price to pay! Keep your fingers crossed!
Have a great week!
Copyright 2009 Tami Klink
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By Tami Klink
Thursday, Apr 23 2009, 07:24 AM
As you all know, the cost of hearing aids is unbelievably high. Most Insurance Companies will not cover this expense (they consider it a 'cosmetic' device!). I get an ungodly amount of emails every week from those with hearing loss telling me their stories and frustrations of not being able to afford a hearing aid(s). So, they continue to stay in a very frustrating and depressing world. Imagine how hard it must be to go through life not being able to hear everything and knowing that the only thing that stands between you and being able to hear is money....
So, here's what I am going to do. I've contacted a company that sells hearing aids online. Yes, I checked them out to see if there were complaints on their products with the Better Business Bureau as well as internet chat sites. So far, I haven't been able to find anything on their products that is a big negative. I have also contacted the President of the company and in the interest of fair play, have told him what I am doing. I gave him the option of not participating and much to my surprise, he wholeheartedly agreed to be my 'guinea pig'. That right there says a lot about how confident he is in their product.
So, yesterday, I started the process by contacting them as a 'normal' client. The President agreed that I would be treated as any other client in that their staff will not know what I am doing or who I am. In the next few weeks, I will be trying out their product and then writing a series of 3 columns on the process, outcome, negatives and positives. I'm really excited about this! I feel that since I've worn hearing aids for almost 30 years now, I know quite a bit about them. I've had 12 of them and am pretty picky about how I expect them to achieve my goal of hearing better.
The hearing aids that I will be trying are priced at $995 each. Yes, they are digital and BTE's. If they are as good as the President is telling me they are, this will open up a whole new world for those with limited incomes and get even more people back into the 'sounds of life'! Imagine the possibilities! If someone can get a hearing aid, have it 'financed' at no interest for up to 18 months and have a payment of around $50 a month, that will enable a lot of people to improve their hearing without breaking their budget.
Keep your fingers crossed! More to come....
Have a great week!
Copyright 2009 Tami Klink
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