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Is There a Hearing Aid Price Bubble?

Posted by timothy on from the what's-it-worth-to-ya? dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The price of a pair of hearing aids in the U.S. ranges from $3,000 to $8,000. To the average American household, this is equivalent to 2-3 months of income! While the price itself seems exorbitant, what is even more grotesque is its continuous pace of growth: in the last decade the price of an average Behind the Ear hearing aid has more than doubled. To the present day, price points are not receding — even though most of its digital components have become increasingly commoditized. Is this a hearing aid price bubble?"

8 of 698 comments (clear)

  1. Hmmm. by msauve · · Score: 4, Funny

    Someone's parents are getting older.

    --
    "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    1. Re:Hmmm. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Disco destroyed my sinuses

    2. Re:Hmmm. by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'm only deficient in hearing in a certain small range but it makes talking to certain people (usually women and kids) a chore.

      Don't worry, the older you get the more you'll think that's actually a benefit.

      --
      When information is power, privacy is freedom.
    3. Re:Hmmm. by sgt+scrub · · Score: 3, Funny

      But:
      1) The cars will be gas hogs.
      2) The houses will have all of the copper ripped out.
      3) The diapers will be shipped in from China.
      4) The shipping companies will be owned by a Chinese company.
      5) The drug companies will have purchased enough votes to receive long term restrictions from generic drug makers to make "age related health improvement drugs".
      6) The Teabagger Party will have repealed all of the benefits to people making less than $250,000/y from the health care law and exempt those above from having to pay health insurance.

      --
      Having to work for a living is the root of all evil.
  2. Oh No! by johnsnails · · Score: 3, Funny

    This outrageous story will fall on deaf ears

  3. Re:Of course they're overpriced. by Bacon+Bits · · Score: 4, Funny

    They're robbing us all blind.

    And, apparently, robbing some of us deaf.

    --
    The road to tyranny has always been paved with claims of necessity.
  4. Cue the free market parrot! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    blah blah blah free markets blah blah Milton Freidman! Ayn Rand!! Freedom!

  5. UK and AU pointless posts. by sgt+scrub · · Score: 3, Funny

    All of these posts about how your countries give hearing aids to elderly and poor is just rude. If the U.S. was a AAA country we would do it too. Showing off your wealth is lame.

    --
    Having to work for a living is the root of all evil.