FAQs

Almost always. At Marshall ENT & Hearing Center, we don’t just do a “free hearing screening,” we do complete audiological evaluations and counsel our patients regarding results, any additional referrals needed and what can or should be done. This is almost always covered by medical insurance.

Many insurances do cover a portion of hearing aid cost and in some cases, the full amount. If you have trouble determining if you have hearing aid coverage, we can help.

You should have an examination by a physician and have a complete diagnostic audiological evaluation by an audiologist. Most medical insurers will pay for a complete diagnostic audiological evaluation if requested by a physician. Medicare recommends and pays for all new subscribers to have a complete diagnostic audiological evaluation. An examination by a physician and hearing examinations by an Audiologist reveal medically and surgically treatable problems, as well as problems that require habilitation/rehabilitation and assistive listening devices such as amplification.

There are many causes (etiologies) for hearing loss and some hearing loss and associated ear symptoms are treatable depending on the etiology. Diagnosing the etiology of your hearing loss and ear symptoms, and determining if there is need for medical treatment, can only be achieved through Physician and Audiologist assessment. Anyone experiencing hearing loss and/or ear symptoms such as pain, pressure, noises, dizziness, balance difficulty or greater loss in one ear, should consult with their physician and have a complete diagnostic audiological evaluation, which can only be performed by a licensed Audiologist. Two of the most common causes of hearing loss are Presbycusis (aging) and noise exposure. Wear your hearing protection devices, exercise and eat right!

Yes, 1 in 10 Americans (28 million) experience hearing loss. Hearing loss is one of the most common chronic health conditions. However, hearing loss is substantially undetected and untreated.It is estimated that 40% of persons aged 60 years and 50% of persons aged 75 and older have hearing loss that significantly affects quality of life. Sadly, fewer than 20% of these individuals have ever sought treatment or obtained a hearing device.

Yes. Hearing loss is associated with physical, emotional, mental and social well-being. Depression, anxiety, emotional instability, phobias, withdrawal, isolation, lessened health status and lessened self-esteem are often the consequences of untreated hearing impairment.

Yes, hearing aids work great, provided that the individual receives proper testing, counseling, advanced fitting techniques and appropriate hearing aid style and technology.

While each person’s experience will vary, hearing aids allow a person to experience certain sounds they have not heard in a long time. Imagine living half way back into a cave and becoming accustomed to the dim lighting over several years. If this person was taken outside, into the bright sunshine, it would be uncomfortable and that person would prefer to go back into the dim lighting. This person would need to slowly acclimate to normal lighting and may not like normal lighting at first. Improving communication with a hearing aid is a gradual acclimation and relearning process that does not happen at the moment of hearing aid fitting. Recent experiments suggest that a listener’s ability to comprehend speech may continue to increase over a period of several months when wearing a new amplification system.

Some of the reasons hearing aids cost so much are:

1. They are sold in a relatively low volume.
2. The amount of time and money spent by manufacturers on research and development is considerable. One manufacturer claims to have spent over twenty million dollars developing a single model of hearing aid.
3. The amount of time spent by an audiologist with a patient is very significant. We spend an average of five direct contact hours with patients during the first year a patient receives a hearing aid. This time is critical for the success of the fitting and for acclimation.

We book an appointment for our patients every 4-6 months depending on need and desire. We also supply our patients with hearing aid batteries and make adjustments anytime needed for the life of the hearing aid without charge.

Mail order or budget clubs perhaps sell hearing aids at lower prices because the hearing aid brand is of poor quality and the hearing aids themselves are often placed on the user with minimal — or in the case of mail order– no instructions or fine tuning adjustments. Furthermore, the patient may be charged for every return visit, including minor tubing change and adjustments. They may charge excessive fees for any repairs out of warranty. Thus, in the long run the patient is likely to pay as much or many times more.

Mail order or discount centers are often staffed by sales people having minimal technical training. Audiologists are concerned about keeping the cost of hearing aids affordable.

At Marshall ENT & Hearing Center, our prices, when compared apples to apples, may actually be less than some “discount hearing aid sellers” or “specials/sales.” Yet our pricing includes the benefit of a professional health care provider and our “complete hearing health care” program.

We strive for optimum and complete improvement of your hearing, not just some improvement. We also represent only the best manufactures in the industry. Be cautious of “Bait and Switch” ads. Advertisement that indicates a very low price for hearing aids and then the salesman explains they are out of that model, or, states that a particular low priced model would not work for you. Remember the old adage, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t.”