The first step is to get your hearing tested by a hearing professional. That's followed by more evaluations to help the patient determine what type of hearing aid would best fit his or her hearing needs. Once a hearing aid is selected, there is a fitting, which involves adjusting the hearing aid to best meet the patient's hearing needs. Often, patients come back for further adjustments after the initial fitting.

While a hearing aid can indeed improve your life by improving your ability to hear, they are not cheap. The cost of a quality analogy hearing aid can go from $900 to $1200 while a digital aid can range from $1,300 to $3,000, according to the Mayo Clinic Web site. And that's just for one.

"Some people need, one, some people need two," depending on their hearing needs, said Kjeldsen.

Digital hearing aids, which are programmed by a computer, allows for more flexibility and fine-tuning of the hearing aid so that it can be adjusted to hearing fluctuations of the user as well as different hearing environments.

Today, requests for analog hearing aids are rare, said Kjeldsen.

"Just about all the hearing aids sold these days are digital," she said. "I would say in the last five years there have been incredible advances in what a (digital) hearing aid can do."

Hearing aids cover a wide range when it comes to prices.

"People need to know there is a very wide range of cost per hearing aid and that all depends on the level of technology," said Robert Green, an audiologist at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. Smaller, less visible hearing aids tend to cost more than larger ones, he said.

Hearing aids may need to be replaced after several years of use to accommodate a person's changing hearing needs. However, digital aids have more flexibility when it comes to programming to adapt to a person's changing hearing needs.

Not only are hearing aids expensive, but Medicare won't pay for them. That means people have to either buy a hearing aid as an out-of-pocket expense or have supplemental Medicare or retiree insurance to help foot the bill. Some financial assistance programs to help people buy hearing aids may be available from nonprofit and government agencies.

Hearing loss affects more than 28 million Americans, including nearly 6 million children.

With baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) starting to turn 60 last year, the number of people with hearing loss is expected to nearly double by the year 2030, according to the Hearing Loss Association of America. The likelihood of losing your hearing increases as you get older, with up to one in three people older than 65 having some kind of hearing loss, according to the Association.

Although 95 percent of Americans with a hearing loss can be successfully treated with hearing aids, only 22 percent (or 6.35 million individuals) currently use hearing aids.

"Hearings aids are very expensive so a lot of people are convinced they are not going to get value for what theyare paying. There is a lot of skepticism," said Green.

In California, consumers can obtain hearing aids from three kinds of hearing aid dispensers: hearing aid specialists, dispensing audiologists or a physician licensed as a hearing aid dispenser.

All three types of hearing aid dispensers have to be licensed and pass written and practical examinations related to their field.

Audiologists are required to have at least a master's degree related to audiology (an educational requirement that is in the process of being upgraded to a doctoral level). To become a licensed hearing aid specialist requires a high school degree and working under the supervision of a licensed hearing aid dispenser for at least three years.

When choosing a hearing aid dispenser, it's good idea to get recommendations from friends. Senior citizens might want to check with a local senior club. Also, check with your local Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints have been filed.

Many hearing aid sales are the result of referrals made by primary care doctors or a friend or family member that has come to Valley Audiology, said Kjeldsen.

But there are also times when a person with a hearing problem is brought in by a spouse or child who will say "'she just can't hear any more,'" said Green.

"What is at the heart of this whole process is whether or not the person (with the hearing problem) is actually ready for (a hearing aid). She is the one who is going to wear it. She is the one who has to make the decision. ... It's not something people are kind of excited about but for a lot of people it's a necessity."

1. Read your sales contract carefully. Make sure you understand everything. Your signature on a contract is your commitment to fulfill the terms of that contract. Take someone with you to give you a second review of the contract.

2. Verify whether your hearing aid dispenser has a current and valid license.

3. A properly fitted hearing aid can amplify sound and enrich your life, but It cannot restore permanently lost hearing, prevent further hearing loss, or cure dizzy spells.

4. If you see a hearing aid advertisement that sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Apply good judgment when evaluating advertisements about hearing aids.

5. Before you complete your purchase, be certain your contract specifies the refund and warranty provisions.

6. Financial assistance may be available. If your dispenser is unable to direct you to a source of financial assistance, write or call your local United Way, Dept. of Veterans Affairs, or the state health department.

7. Check your state laws. Some states require a 30-day warranty on new and used hearing aids sold. Buyers may also be able to return the hearing aid for a refund, adjustment or replacement of the hearing aid. Check your local regulations.

8. Some states' laws provide that hearing aids purchased through mail order or through the Internet be purchased only through a licensed dispenser. Keep in mind when it comes to a mail order or Internet purchase of a hearing aid, there is no selection, fitting or adaption of the hearing aid provided by the dispenser and it may be difficult to obtain a refund from an out-of-state seller.

http://dailycamera.com/news/2008/jan/15/its-easier-than-ever-to-hear-what-youre-missing/