Currently in 2013, Siemens, Starkey and Phonak consistently manufacturer the best aids on the market. Each manufacturer has it's own strengths and weaknesses. Beltone and Miracle Ear aren't even in the top 10. It is very rare to find an audiologist working at a Beltone or Miracle Ear Center. Instead, these franchise offices are typically staffed by hearing aid salesmen working on a commission basis. A hearing aid salesman, sometimes called a hearing aid specialist, typically has no college training or degree. Audiologists, after obtaining a bachelor's degree, receive 4 - 5 years extensive training at the post-graduate level specific to hearing loss and treatment. Any hearing aid will only sound as good as it is selected, pre-tested, and programmed by the hearing health care professional you choose to trust with your hearing and your hard earned money. At the very least:
1. Seek out a university trained audiologist
2. Seek an independently owned office. Avoid franchises and corporate owned offices (e.g., Beltone, Miracle Ear, Sonus, Hear USA, Audibel).
3. Make sure your hearing aids are custom programmed to your very unique ear and hearing loss. This can only be done in an office that utilizes Real Ear/Probe microphone verification (best to research these two synonymous terms).
4. Know that you're legally entitled to a 30 day money back guarantee no matter who fits your hearing aids or what his/her education and experience is.
Here's a website link for a Beltone job opening. Notice no training or experience is required, salesman should never take "no" for an answer, experience in car or computer sales is desirable, etc....
Sales and Marketing Jobs in Roseville, Michigan - Beltone Hearing Aid Centers
" rest assured, Costco, Beltone, Miracle Ear, Sonus, HearUSA, etc... work on a commission basis.
Everyone on your list but Costco I believe works on a commission basis. I know two people who work for Costco and they are paid a salary and a pretty good benefit package, but they receive no commission. This is why when you go to Costco there is no sales pressure put on the customer and they don't lead you to the highest priced HA they carry unlike many audiologist in private practice. They also have a 90 day trial and return policy where you will get 100% of your money back if you don't keep the HA's.
4. Know that you're legally entitled to a 30 day money back guarantee no matter who fits your hearing aids or what his/her education and experience is.
Audiologist,
This is only true in those states that have provisions on the books that require a trial period.
Those states according to the HLAA that don't require a trial period for hearing aids are: Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
States with a 45 day trial mandated by law are: Minnesota, New York and Vermont.
Washington State has a full refund within 3 days and a 30 day trial less 15% or $150 whichever is less.
You don't have to be an audiologist to work at Costco. Hearing aid salesmen that work there are not required to have a high school diploma and must only pass a very, very simple BASIC skills test to get their sales license. Hmm... let's see a hearing doctor with 9 years of college training or a hearing aid salesman with a GED??? Costco offers "Free Hearing Tests*." The asterisk says, "for hearing aid purposes only" because hearing aid salesmen cannot perform a comprehensive hearing test. They can SCREEN hearing for hearing aid purposes only. The salesman cannot charge for their so called "test" nor can they bill your insurance company. THEY ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO DO A MEDICAL OR EVEN A COMPREHENSIVE HEARING EVALUATION. The hearing aid salesman can't legally even remove wax from your ear. Get your hearing SCREENED at Costco. Let the salesman take impressions of your wax filled ears. Pick up a bag of dog food on your way out, and in two weeks trust your hearing to a salesman with no university training or degree. The sad thing is that Granny can hear better with a junk hearing aid or even a nice hearing aid poorly programmed by an idiot. By the way, research repeatedly demonstrates that 80% of all hearing aids are grossly misfit, underamplifying some sounds while overamplifying other sounds. Hmm... I suppose Granny should also get her false teeth from a denture salesman rather than a university trained dentist, her eyeglasses from an eyeglass salesman rather than an optometrist. Costco or not, the fact that hearing aid salesmen even exist is a joke. Granny, I hope you're listening. Before you go anywhere for a hearing aid evaluation call ahead to ensure you'll be seeing a university trained professional. Not only should the audiologist have a doctorate degree, but he/she should also be board certified by the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association. Hearing aid salesmen do not belong in health care.
Siemens, Starkey, and Phonak are the top manufacturer's in the world. Never get a Beltone, Miracle Ear, or Audibel hearing aid. These are franchise dealers with only one brand (Beltone and Miracle Ear make junk aids) and Audibel only has Audibel (a rebranded Starkey). The Costco loving hearing aid salesmen, on these blogs are a joke. Costco is nothing. Costco is not a hearing aid manufacturer. Costco is not an audiologist. Costco does not manufacturer hearing aid performance verification tools. Costco can not help anyone hear better. Costco is nothing but a sign, a storefront, a chain of retail outlets that share central management. If these salesmen understood the vast diversity of hearing impairment, hearing aid technologies, prescriptive fitting rationales, hearing aid verification techniques, maximum aided benefit potential, electroacoustic variables etc... they wouldn't be going on and on about virtues of Costco. Costco is irrelevant to a strategic, science based, hearing aid fitting. That's all they know, so that's all they can talk about. These "experts" aren't even legally allowed to do a diagnostic/comprehensive hearing test. They can't charge for a hearing test or bill your insurance for a hearing test because they don't even know what a diagnostic hearing test consist of let alone how to perform one. They can't legally even remove a small piece of wax from your ear. These salesmen shouldn't be allowed to work in healthcare. They're frauds. They don't even seem to recognize it... as the saying goes, "ignorance is bliss." C-O-S-T-C-O!!! C-O-S-T-C-O!!! Rah! Rah! Rah! What's that spell? Actually nothing. These guys should be reading textbooks with their time not blogging about things they don't understand. If your only options are Beltone or Phonak, the Phonak is a far superior instrument. Unfortunately, it will only sound as good as the person who programs it, and, like these guys, there are a lot of frauds out there. Good luck. You have a 20% chance of being responsibly/accurately fit with a hearing aid in this country.
Siemens, Starkey, and Phonak are the top manufacturer's in the world. Never get a Beltone, Miracle Ear, or Audibel hearing aid. These are franchise dealers with only one brand (Beltone and Miracle Ear make junk aids) and Audibel only has Audibel (a rebranded Starkey). The Costco loving hearing aid salesmen, on these blogs are a joke. Costco is nothing. Costco is not a hearing aid manufacturer. Costco is not an audiologist. Costco does not manufacturer hearing aid performance verification tools. Costco can not help anyone hear better. Costco is nothing but a sign, a storefront, a chain of retail outlets that share central management. If these salesmen understood the vast diversity of hearing impairment, hearing aid technologies, prescriptive fitting rationales, hearing aid verification techniques, maximum aided benefit potential, electroacoustic variables etc... they wouldn't be going on and on about virtues of Costco. Costco is irrelevant to a strategic, science based, hearing aid fitting. That's all they know, so that's all they can talk about. These "experts" aren't even legally allowed to do a diagnostic/comprehensive hearing test. They can't charge for a hearing test or bill your insurance for a hearing test because they don't even know what a diagnostic hearing test consist of let alone how to perform one. They can't legally even remove a small piece of wax from your ear. These salesmen shouldn't be allowed to work in healthcare. They're frauds. They don't even seem to recognize it... as the saying goes, "ignorance is bliss." C-O-S-T-C-O!!! C-O-S-T-C-O!!! Rah! Rah! Rah! What's that spell? Actually nothing. These guys should be reading textbooks with their time not blogging about things they don't understand. If your only options are Beltone or Phonak, the Phonak is a far superior instrument. Unfortunately, it will only sound as good as the person who programs it, and, like these guys, there are a lot of frauds out there. Good luck. You have a 20% chance of being responsibly/accurately fit with a hearing aid in this country.
Audiologist, for someone who espouses the virtues of science, your post is shockingly ignorant.
What evidence do you have that Siemens, Starkey, and Phonak are the "top" manufacturers. This is just your personal opinion. There are plenty of other hearing professionals who would disagree with you.
Beltone hearing aids are made by ReSound, arguably one of the "top" manufacturers. And Miracle Ear sells rebranded Siemens instruments. Calling them "junk" is outrageous.
Your Costco rant leaves me speechless. I hate to say it, but you seem like a nutcase.
You don't have to be an audiologist to work at Costco. Hearing aid salesmen that work there are not required to have a high school diploma and must only pass a very, very simple BASIC skills test to get their sales license. Hmm... let's see a hearing doctor with 9 years of college training or a hearing aid salesman with a GED??? Costco offers "Free Hearing Tests*." The asterisk says, "for hearing aid purposes only" because hearing aid salesmen cannot perform a comprehensive hearing test. They can SCREEN hearing for hearing aid purposes only. The salesman cannot charge for their so called "test" nor can they bill your insurance company. THEY ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO DO A MEDICAL OR EVEN A COMPREHENSIVE HEARING EVALUATION. The hearing aid salesman can't legally even remove wax from your ear. Get your hearing SCREENED at Costco. Let the salesman take impressions of your wax filled ears. Pick up a bag of dog food on your way out, and in two weeks trust your hearing to a salesman with no university training or degree. The sad thing is that Granny can hear better with a junk hearing aid or even a nice hearing aid poorly programmed by an idiot. By the way, research repeatedly demonstrates that 80% of all hearing aids are grossly misfit, underamplifying some sounds while overamplifying other sounds. Hmm... I suppose Granny should also get her false teeth from a denture salesman rather than a university trained dentist, her eyeglasses from an eyeglass salesman rather than an optometrist. Costco or not, the fact that hearing aid salesmen even exist is a joke. Granny, I hope you're listening. Before you go anywhere for a hearing aid evaluation call ahead to ensure you'll be seeing a university trained professional. Not only should the audiologist have a doctorate degree, but he/she should also be board certified by the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association. Hearing aid salesmen do not belong in health care.