Most Affordable Hearing Aids of 2023 – AgingInPlace.org

Hearing Aids vs. Hearing Amplifiers

Personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), also referred to as hearing amplifiers, often show up in searches for cheap or affordable hearing aids. With prices starting at well under $100, PSAPs may seem like a budget-conscious solution for hearing loss, but it’s important to recognize the difference between hearing amplifiers and hearing aids. Hearing amplifiers do exactly what they say—amplify sound, and nothing more. A PSAP will increase the volume of sounds coming into your ear, but this simple technology is actually best suited for people with normal, unaffected hearing.

Hearing aids on the other hand are much more complex. As FDA-regulated class 1 medical devices, hearing aids use advanced sound technology to address hearing concerns specific to your individual hearing loss. Often, one person’s hearing impairment can vary across a range of tones, pitches, and environments, and simple amplification is not likely to make sounds any more clear or comprehensible. Even the cheapest, simplest hearing aids are more complex than PSAPs, so expect your price point for quality options to start closer to $300 per pair.

Cheaper Hearing Aids Are Not Better

There are cheaper hearing aids on the market than the ones we’ve mentioned, but beware of the quality. For example, Bossa’s TX-5 hearing aid model is a popular option sold on Alibaba.com for a low price of $30-$35 per piece. However, 68 customers rated Bossa hearing aids at an average of 2.13 out of 5 stars on BBB due to poor customer service and shipping accountability. When shopping for low-cost hearing devices, review the brand and product thoroughly before purchasing. We haven’t yet found quality hearing aids under $100 in our research.

How to Save Money on Hearing Aids

Even the best inexpensive hearing aids can still be a significant health-related expense, ringing in anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand. Here are all the ways you can make sure you’re getting the best prices on whichever model you choose.

Insurance: Unfortunately, Medicare and private health insurance coverage aren’t available for hearing aids. However, some health insurance providers and Medicare Advantage plans may cover a portion of the cost. Check with your provider to find out what benefits your plan offers.

Discounts: Like many other products, hearing aids are often offered from the manufacturer or retailers at a discount or as part of a promotion. If you’re in the market for affordable hearing aids, it’s worth browsing around to see which brands are currently offering discounts.

Financing: Many hearing aid companies, including those on our list, offer special financing with little or no interest, which can make the devices much more affordable than paying the entire amount up front. This is usually done through partnership with third-party financing companies like Affirm and Care Credit, known for flexible approval and easy payments. 

Online: Buying cheap hearing aids online doesn’t have to mean lower quality, and many trusted and reputable hearing aid brands offer direct-to-consumer sales. The often much-higher cost of getting hearing aids through your audiologist can largely be attributed to manufacturer fees, retail markups, and office visit costs, all of which are removed by purchasing directly online. 

Other coverage or discounts: You may be able to get discounts or other benefits such as a free hearing check-up through the AARP Hearing Care Program. Check if the program is available in your state. According to our medical reviewer Dr. Hadassah Kupfer, an audiologist and hearing aid expert, under certain conditions, Medicare will cover a hearing test once per year for diagnostic purposes, but there may be a co-pay. Financial assistance may also be available through local civic organizations, such as the Kiwanis or Lions Clubs and labor unions or Veterans Affairs, if applicable.

Over-the-counter hearing aids: Hearing aids are available over-the-counter as of October of 2022, increasing access to hearing technology for the public for those with mild to moderate perceived hearing loss. The final FDA ruling outlining the sale and regulation of OTC hearing aids removed the requirement of a prescription from an audiologist, which also eliminates expensive overhead that’s usually rolled into the price of traditional hearing aids. OTC hearing aid sales means that many hearing aid companies can offer FDA-regulated devices at significantly lower prices.

Bottom Line for Choosing the Best Affordable Hearing Aids

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), one-third to one-half of older adults would benefit from hearing aids. And yet, despite the benefits they provide, only about a third of older adults have ever used hearing aids, according to calculations by NIDCD Epidemiology and Statistics Program from the annual National Health Interview Survey. Hearing aids are an investment for your overall health and wellness. Our selection of the best cheap hearing aids are carefully researched and considered to bring you the best quality options at a variety of prices to fit your budget. 

Wearing hearing aids can improve your social life, your self-esteem, and your enjoyment of daily activities almost immediately. While you can’t undo the damage that has already been done to the hearing nerve, wearing hearing aids can slow down the decline of speech understanding by stimulating the auditory nerve and the brain, noted Dr. Orso. The sooner you can aid hearing loss, the better the long-term outcome.