Hearing aid price norms
In most of the world, hearing aid prices follow the same pattern—they’re invisible. Whether online, in a magazine or newspaper, or in clinic advertisements, you won’t find the hearing aid cost anywhere. This is because, similar to car manufacturers, the hearing aid brands normally don’t choose the final price. Instead, these manufacturers first sell to hearing specialists and audiologists who independently set their price, making digital hearing aid prices differ by location and provider.
While this is normal for most hearing devices, today’s premium over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids want to make all hearing aid machine prices more affordable and visible. This is especially true in India where Ven by Audientes is providing price transparency online and with partnering clinics.
So, is your hearing aid price right? Discover everything you need to know about the two categories for hearing aid brands and prices and the story about how Ven is simplifying the process for hearing aid wearers everywhere.
Price structures: audiologist-prescribed vs. OTC hearing aids
Where you purchase hearing aids is ultimately the most important factor in determining a higher or lower price point. Not surprisingly, over-the-counter (OTC) and online hearing aid options are usually less expensive because they’re primarily self-service and appointments with hearing specialists aren’t necessary. But let’s take a closer look at the two main types of hearing aids and prices plus which additional factors have an impact on costs:
- Audiologist-prescribed hearing aids. These have long served as the traditional option for hearing aids and often cost thousands of dollars—with some even reaching up to $9,000. Much of this pricing comes from the associated clinic appointments where specialists are essential to fit the hearing device on the patient and personalize its settings. So, the hearing aid price list includes the cost of the aid itself plus the services of the specialist. In the past, audiologist-prescribed options often also featured the most advanced hearing machine functionality and higher quality sound. However, to help patients with the costs, hearing specialists offer two further options:
- Bundled pricing: Here, patients receive all the extra benefits with their purchase—consultation, hearing test, preliminary fitting along with any additional routine cleanings, alterations, and even a multi-year warranty. These warranties can be great for covering any repair costs and a one-time replacement if the hearing aid is lost. Bundled services are more common because, as hearing abilities change, regular appointments are necessary to keep the audiologist-prescribed hearing devices working optimally.
- Unbundled pricing: The main difference here is that some clinics separate the hearing services cost from the hearing aid cost. That means many of the extra benefits described in the bundled pricing can be added on individually and paid for as needed. This option is much less common, which is why it’s crucial to ask your hearing specialist what all is included in the price.
While there are many clear benefits to audiologist-prescribed hearing aids, there are also widespread obstacles to this approach. For most people globally, there is a huge lack of access to quality specialists. Even for those with nearby access in urban centers, the price is often out of reach—and this is why people assume this technology is expensive with hidden hearing aid prices in advertisements. But cutting-edge digital technology and healthcare policy changes are pushing to change this.
- OTC hearing aids. This category includes innovative over-the-counter (OTC) and e-commerce hearing aid options, which have experienced a massive transformation in recent years. Especially with ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in many countries, online and OTC options have filled the void in places where people can’t safely visit hearing clinics or don’t have access to quality hearing specialists. Two major ways OTC hearing machines are bringing a trustworthy digital alternative to the traditional model are:
- Self-service technology: Where anyone can access self-guided and professional hearing tests without having to visit a doctor. Hearing aid adjustments, money-back guarantees, and limited warranties are also included with many OTC products.
- Worldwide accessibility: With e-commerce purchase and home delivery options, OTC hearing aid machine prices online are only a fraction of most other prescription-only hearing aids. In addition, customers have online access to a resident audiologist from the comfort of home.
For the first time in history, OTC hearing aids are providing much-needed access to the most advanced hearing health services for an affordable price. This is exactly what Ven aims to do. From India to the United States, Audientes is using the newest technology and digital solutions to make do-it-yourself hearing aids available to anyone, anywhere. Whether through our resident audiologist or Audientes app, today’s hearing solutions provide instant digital access to the millions of people globally suffering from hearing loss.
Spotlight: digital hearing aid prices in India
In 2021, Audientes first launched the groundbreaking hearing aid, Ven, in India. Since then, we’ve had many conversations with clinics and patients and found that invisible hearing aid prices in India are all too common. No matter what type of advertisement, people cannot find a price associated with the hearing aid description or images, and this leads many people to assume all hearing solutions are expensive. With so many different types of hearing aids and prices out there, Audientes is determined to change this “invisible” trend.
That’s why Audientes is creating strategic partnerships to make Audientes prices more visible and easily available to people in both rural and urban parts of India. Some of these include:
- eShopBox: This partnership is a milestone agreement that will facilitate in fulfilling ecommerce orders with Audientes.in and later Amazon.in and FlipKart. For truly transparent and “visible” hearing aid prices in India, online shopping continues to be a long-term and trustworthy companion for consumers everywhere.
- Hearing Wellness Clinic: As one of the leading hearing centers in South India with numerous clinics in the states of Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Goa, HWC became the first supplier of Ven in India and will help us provide our quality products and optimal hearing solutions to customers across both urban and rural areas of the southern peninsula.
- Aura Hearing and Speech Care Center: With a strong presence in Mumbai and Delhi, our collaboration with this leading hearing care and hearing aid retailer will help provide access to Ven hearing aids in India’s two most populace cities—with a combined population of over 27 million.
- Omni Hearing: This dynamic partnership brings Ven into western India where Omni Hearing is a well-established company with more than 30 years of experience in bringing customers quality hearing aids throughout the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
- Sravani Hearing Aid Clinic: As a respected hearing health provider in the state of West Bengal, this landmark partnership brings Ven to the megacity of Kolkata where Sravana Hearing Aid Clinic is committed to bringing affordable hearing solutions to its clients and their families.
- Challa’s Hearing Care Centre & Speech Therapy Centre: An exciting Supply Framework Agreement has been finalized with Challa’s Centre to start delivering on our promise of accessibility in rural parts of India. Based in Hyderabad, a city of 6.8 million, Challa’s Centre also supports multiple clinics in rural areas throughout Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in Eastern India.
- Priority Hearing: This huge Collaboration Agreement in New Delhi, the world’s fifth most populous city with a population of 18.6 million, means that Ven will be available in more strategically important and diverse locations including private hospitals, healthcare clinics, and high-end points of sale.
And this is just the beginning. Audientes will continue to expand its partnerships with leading clinics and e-commerce platforms to make sure geography is no longer a barrier to patients in need. Now is an exciting time in the world of hearing health treatment.
Discover visible hearing aid prices today
Whether you’re looking for digital hearing aid machine prices in India or online, Ven by Audientes is ready to meet your specific needs. With a built-in hearing test, Bluetooth pairing, rechargeable battery and more, the all-new Ven is ready to come to you via home delivery or your nearest partner clinic.
And don’t forget—in the Audientes shop, the price is always right and easily visible for a great shopping experience.
