The cost of hearing aids in Canada continues to be beyond the reach of most people, especially seniors!

A recent quote (Oct 6, 2022) from a BC company varied from $5,550 to $8,450 for a range of Phonak products. This cost includes the hardware as well as the services of testing and followups over the life of the aids and includes a 3-year repair, loss, and damage warranty.   

This week the US Government has approved separating the cost of hardware from the services provided by these retailers. The hardware cost has dropped from comparable prices in Canada to approximately $200 - $800 depending on product features.

This approach simply make sense as it is consistent with other hardware/service offers on the market. The hearing aide retailers have benefit greatly from this antiquated marketing scheme, designed to provide significant returns to the industry at great cost to the consumer.

As a senior it is out of reach to pay these outrageous costs for a device that will likely be obsolete within 2 years and in many cases not require any servicing. 

As done in other industries the sale of hardware must be separate from the services aspects of the offer to be fair to the consumer! I may or may not use the services and if I do then will pay for the cost or simply replace the aids... my choice, not something dictated by the combined marketing approach in Canada.

Even extended health benefit plans only cover a small portion of the cost of hearing aids... they know these costs are excessive.

Technology has advanced so that the hardware is software driven and the settings can be done by using an App and do not need the services of a "professional" as in the past. 

It is time for Canada and the Provinces to adopt the concept of separate pricing for the products and services, as done in the USA. 

The current situation in Canada is that you must go to a hearing retailer and have your hearing checked so that they can prescribe hearing aids. You are then provided a quotation to purchase the "package" of hardware and future services, from that same business. This model was developed in the days when the technology required special equipment to "program" them and trained technicians to fine-tune them to your hearing. It is an outdated and backward approach that does not fit in our current highly technical world! 

It is time for regulators to stop regulating this and other services which no longer need the "protection" of Government.

This change will require the acceptance of both Federal and Provincial governments due to the split between approval of devices at the Federal level and the dispensing of the hardware and services at the Provincial level.