Dr. Barbara Phillips and whether CPAP should require a prescription

ChicagoGranny wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:40 pm

prodigyplace wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:34 pm

Basically the government is just permitting the low cost hearing assistance devices to market themselves as hearing aids. That will be of very little help to those who really need real hearing aids.

In my opinon, it could discourage people from getting the real help they need due to experience with poorly performing devices using the name hearing aid.

So, you prefer government regulations that make hearing aids much more expensive for everyone because of the 1.3% of the market who need more specialized help?

Plus, the technology is changing rapidly and soon you will see more market entrants with really advanced aids at low prices.

The marketing of current hearing aids is still "optimistic" compared to actual performance. The technology in my new aids has markedly improved compared to my 3 year old ones.

Much of the hearing aid cost is the provider estimating the cost of providing up to 3 years of service adjustments. Costco includes them in their price too. I think since their business is larger & more diverse, they can undercut many f the smaller providers in the field.

A few years ago I actually tried some of the lower cost (real) hearing aids you could program yourself. Even with vendor help it was obvious to me as a longtime hearing aid wearer that they did not have the technology to handle my loss at that time. I think my loss has worsened since then.

If I had not been an experienced hearing aid user, that would have discouraged me away much as poor CPAP settings discourage many people away from using their prescribed CPAP.

prodigyplace wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:48 pm

prodigyplace

Are you a pessimist?

It is the service and hands-on followup that Costco (usually) provides that makes their cost-effective approach much more useful than many other places, in my opinion.

This is a good example of how trained people who are NOT doctors can be very helpful with assisting people get full benefit from an (at least sometimes) insurance-covered device that provides basic safety and quality of life far beyond what is documented medically.

Equipment for breathing and sleeping deserves at least as high a priority and ease of availability as equipment for hearing, if not more so. The mainstream medical system has failed those hard of breathing/sleeping just as surely as it has failed to be helpful to many who have difficulty hearing.

ChicagoGranny wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:54 pm

prodigyplace wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:48 pm

prodigyplace

Are you a pessimist?

The voice of direct experience, such as prodigyplace's, can help many of us be educated realists, so we won't get fooled again.

Hearing loss usually varies with frequency of the sound.
Expert adjustment is way more complicated than a simple volume control.
Amplification of all ranges can be painful for areas of minimal loss.
Patients with long-standing loss have great difficulty adjusting to the
ROAR of the background sound that our brains normally filter out.
Mall hearing aid shops not only have OLD technology, but HIGH PRESSURE sales.
Computerized audio processing helps dull background, squelch feedback, and
protect against painful overload from sharp sounds. (Bells, nail clippers)
The technology results in hearing aids spending more and more time in ears-not drawers.
Using the full technology of cpap should be in the hands of the patient.
The analogy does not apply to both areas.

ChicagoGranny wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:54 pm

prodigyplace wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:48 pm

prodigyplace

Are you a pessimist?

I am a realist based on my experiences.
I see you are using PR's stupid technique of mangling comments.
Why do people always pick up the bad habits?

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 21, 2019 1:15 pm

Hearing loss usually varies with frequency of the sound.
Expert adjustment is way more complicated than a simple volume control.
Amplification of all ranges can be painful for areas of minimal loss.
Patients with long-standing loss have great difficulty adjusting to the
ROAR of the background sound that our brains normally filter out.
Mall hearing aid shops not only have OLD technology, but HIGH PRESSURE sales.
Computerized audio processing helps dull background, squelch feedback, and
protect against painful overload from sharp sounds. (Bells, nail clippers)
The technology results in hearing aids spending more and more time in ears-not drawers.
Using the full technology of cpap should be in the hands of the patient.
The analogy does not apply to both areas.

Within boundaries, the customer should be free to adjust their aids. If their professional does not like it, they are free to restore their last settings.

At Costco, I was encouraged to walk around the store with the aid to evaluate its function.
---Before whipping out my card!
Trial period is essential.
If a doc/tech/whoever is not willing to adjust to YOUR preference--it is time to go elsewhere.

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 21, 2019 2:05 pm

At Costco, I was encouraged to walk around the store with the aid to evaluate its function.
---Before whipping out my card!
Trial period is essential.
If a doc/tech/whoever is not willing to adjust to YOUR preference--it is time to go elsewhere.

In my case the testing took longer than expected so I just tried a couple of different aids in the booth & outside after we could not adjust my old aids satisfactorily.
The 180 day return policy for a refund gives you basically an extended trial period though.

I believe 3 years ago there was a 90 day trial like most other hearing places.

My current Costco is a 2 hour drive from home so I try to minimize trips there. This branch's regular policy is 6 month visits & a hearing test every year.

prodigyplace wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 21, 2019 1:36 pm

ChicagoGranny wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:54 pm

prodigyplace wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:48 pm

prodigyplace

Are you a pessimist?

I am a realist based on my experiences.
I see you are using PR's stupid technique of mangling comments.
Why do people always pick up the bad habits?

Why do you have to act like an ass and drag me into something I'm not part of?

I guess it just goes to show.

Maybe if you'd learn to write coherently...

All right. Let's all just mambo dogface to the banana patch, people.

... I am not sure my prescription covers that...

jnk... wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 21, 2019 5:53 pm

All right. Let's all just mambo dogface to the banana patch, people.

Oh Man! If *that* is not a song yet ... IT SHOULD BE!

jnk... wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 21, 2019 5:53 pm

All right. Let's all just mambo dogface to the banana patch, people.

Where did that come from?
My son has been saying it for around 20 years.
Weird line to come out of a tadpole.

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 21, 2019 8:48 pm

jnk... wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 21, 2019 5:53 pm

All right. Let's all just mambo dogface to the banana patch, people.

Where did that come from?
My son has been saying it for around 20 years.
Weird line to come out of a tadpole.

https://youtu.be/40K6rApRnhQ