Of Interest The Internet and Hearing Aid Shopping Oh the internet … our way of having a full reference library in our homes. It’s a wonderful thing, but as most have discovered, it can be dangerous. Just as you wouldn’t visit an optometrist and ask for the prescription glasses your neighbor wears or insist your physician prescribe a drug you saw on TV for you, you should not buy your hearing aids this way. Your hearing loss is unique, like a snowflake. Your hearing aids should be prescriptively fit by a hearing professional. What worked well for your neighbor, what looks good in the newspaper or on television may not work at all for you. Hearing aids are sophisticated instruments which are affected by moisture, wax, impacts and many other things. Buying the instrument and thinking you need no other support for it – is asking for a product with an appealing price tag and an all too short life. Listen to what our patients have experienced: Mr. B. bought hearing aids on eBay. He had researched the brand and the model on the internet and thought these would be great for him. During their warranty, he had to send them back for a repair. The manufacturer confiscated them – they had been part of a large shipment that had been stolen in Europe. Mr. B lost several thousand dollars. Another patient talked to us about the purchase of hearing aids. When she consulted her son, he did some internet research and found he could purchase the aids more cheaply on line. He did. Our patient went to another office to be fitted. No matter how often she went back saying she could not hear, the fitter said they were working fine. She came back to us to see if we could adjust the aids so she could hear well. After examining the aids, we discovered they were not strong enough for her loss and were already adjusted to their most powerful level. She now has several thousand dollars worth of hearing aids that she cannot use and a bad experience with poor service. A new patient came into the office needing to send the hearing aids he purchased online in for a factory repair. The paperwork with the aids showed that the aids were form a manufacturer that we worked with, but the serial number was not in the usual format. When we called the manufacturer to get the warranty expiration date, we learned the serial number was invalid. The patient was in possession of counterfeit hearing aids and out several thousand dollars. So how can you shop for hearing aids? Shop for professionalism, trust and service. Understand that when you purchase a hearing instrument, you are purchasing a relationship that you will use to make sure you are always hearing your best and that your hearing aids are in top working condition. Be wary of big sales; be wary of prices too good to be true. Be wary of anyone who says “It’s just as good as" or “I know where you can get that a lot cheaper.” Our philosophy here is professional care, high technology, great service and fair prices, ALWAYS. We promise to put you in the very best technology you are comfortable with purchasing and we promise you our “ultimate service” program after the sale. All programming, adjustments and in-office repairs are included in your purchase for the LIFE of the hearing instruments. We schedule no-charge cleanings of your instrument three to four times a year – a preventive maintenance appointment that insures your hearing aids last as long as possible. We provide discounted battery prices to our patients – at a cost too low to mention here. And we stand behind our product. Our philosophy is that we want no hearing aids in dresser drawers! That’s bad for our patients and bad for us. We would rather have you return them to us than to be dissatisfied in any way. So, please do some research on the Internet – but understand that your research should serve to enhance your conversation with our Doctors of Audiology when you come in to learn about your hearing loss and how to treat it. If you like a particular style or brand you’ve seen on the internet, we’ll do our best to work with that, but ONLY if it is appropriate for you. Spend your money wisely – start with the people you can trust at Marty Layne Associates. Remember: The Bitterness of Poor Quality Lingers Long after the Sweetness of Low Price is Forgotten Tax Credits for Hearing Aids - a Time Which Has Come Sergei Kochkin, Ph.D., Executive Director, Better Hearing Institute, Alexandria, VA According to the Better Hearing Institute's (BHI) most recent survey of 56,000 households 31.5 million Americans have hearing loss. Hearing loss affects 1 in 10 Americans and 1 in 4 households. While 95% of individuals with hearing loss could be successfully treated with hearing aids, only 23% currently use them. One of the barriers to hearing aid adoption is affordability; 2 out of 3 people ages 55 and above with hearing loss, report that affordability of hearing aids is a key reason for their inability to treat their hearing loss. Recent bills in the house (HR 2329 — introduced by Reps. Carolyn McCarthy, NY, and Vern Ehlers, MI) and Senate (S.1410 — introduced by Senator Norm Coleman, MN) if passed could assist up to 1.2 million children and 11.5 million Americans ages 55 and above in treating their hearing loss. These bills provide a tax credit of up to $500 per hearing aid, available once every 5 years, towards the purchase of such hearing aid, available to: 1) individuals age 55 and over, or 2) those purchasing a hearing aid for a dependent. If utilized this equates to approximately a price reduction of 25%-35% on the purchase of hearing aids. Hearing aids are not covered under Medicare, or under the vast majority of state mandated benefits. In fact, 73% of hearing aid purchases involve no third-party payments, placing the entire burden of the hearing aid purchase on the majority of consumers, according to our surveys of the hearing loss population. Untreated, hearing loss can have many negative consequences. Those who struggle with hearing loss may be subject to subtle or even overt discrimination and be excluded from gatherings, conversations and meetings. The inability to communicate effectively can ultimately lead to frustration, anxiety, social isolation and depression. Extensive research demonstrates that treatment with modern hearing aids bring measurable improvements in social, emotional, psychological, and physical well being, for both patients and their family members. The good news is that, with treatment, those suffering even mild hearing loss can gain:
The fact is that better hearing is a critical aspect of effective communication. Hearing is crucial to developing meaningful relationships and the ability to enjoy life, whether it is participating fully in a conversation between friends, or enjoying aesthetic pleasures like music, the leaves rustling in the wind, or the cooing of a child. Better hearing helps you perform better, whether in business situations or engaging in hobbies or sports — all of life's activities that include a wealth of auditory cues and signals. Better hearing also gives you an enhanced sense of security, and is critical where safety is a concern — for instance when caring for young children. A Call to Action If you or a family member would like to benefit from a tax credit toward the purchase of hearing aids the best thing you can do is write a personal letter to your congressperson and Senator urging support of House bill HR2329 and Senate bill S1410. The most effective letter would be one written in your own words describing your personal situation and your need for hearing aids. Contact information for your local Congressperson and Senator can be found on the following website: www.congress.org. |
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In my opinion, your logo should say “We Conduct Our Business the Way Business Used to Be Done.”... ... When it comes to the way you and your staff treat your clients, I believe Marty Layne Audiology has no peer anywhere!... Read more of this testimonial from STANLEY I. WHITNEY |
