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Medicare, the clinic chains, the warehouse club, the online amplifier, and one way most people have not heard of. We priced all five.
Every week the same three pieces of bad news land on a kitchen table somewhere in America.
A clinic wants $4,000 or more for a pair of hearing aids.
Medicare says it will not pay for them.
And the $40 "amplifier" from the internet is in a drawer. It made the fridge louder, not the grandchildren.
So most people do nothing. They turn the TV up and stop going to the places they loved.
We priced the five ways most people try, from each seller’s own website and what buyers wrote in their reviews.
Here is what we found.
$0what Medicare pays toward a hearing aid
Let’s get this out of the way first. Original Medicare does not pay for hearing aids, or for the test to fit them.
The words on medicare.gov are plain: you pay all costs.
Some Medicare Advantage plans pay a part. How much, and at which clinics, is different for every plan.
Most people find out the hard way: you are on your own.
"Medicare wont cover hearing aids. Clinic wanted 4800 dollars. On social security thats just not happening."
Janet H., verified customer
$4,200 to $5,000what buyers told us the clinics asked for a pair
The clinics sell good hearing aids. We are not going to pretend they don’t.
But they also sell the clinic. That price pays for the shop on Main Street, the staff, the visits you have to come back for, and the TV ads.
The hearing aid itself is a small part of the bill. One online seller breaks a typical clinic pair down like this:
| Hearing aid parts | $450 |
| Clinic rent | $1,150 |
| Sales cut | $950 |
| Ads | $900 |
| Visits | $750 |
| Audiologist fees | $800 |
| You pay | $5,000 |
From $1,599.99a pair at the club’s hearing aid center, plus the membership
The price says "starting at" and changes by state.
Cheaper than the clinics, and the hearing aids are good.
But you still need a membership, a hearing test in the store, and a fitting visit.
$26 to $65the best-selling "hearing amplifiers" on Amazon
This is where most people get burned. It is also where the idea that cheap hearing aids do not work comes from.
An amplifier makes everything louder at once. Voices, the dishwasher, the road, your own chewing.
It cannot pick voices out of the noise. So voices stay muddy while everything else gets loud.
The FDA says these products are for people with normal hearing.
A hearing aid is a different thing. It has a small computer chip that picks out voices and turns the noise down.
If you tried a $40 amplifier and gave up, you did not try a hearing aid.
"They just amplified all sound making it difficult to hear anything clearly. These are different, they separate the words spoken from most background noise."
Robert B., verified customer
$249.99a pair during National Hearing Week. The regular price is $500.
This is the one that surprised us.
Modern Hearing sells a real hearing aid you can buy without a prescription. The FDA allowed this kind of hearing aid in 2022.
It is not an amplifier. A chip with 16 channels picks out voices, turns the noise down and stops the whistling.
The case charges both aids in two hours and runs 30 hours or more. No batteries to swap over the sink.
It is made for mild to moderate hearing loss. For sudden hearing loss, or loss in one ear only, see a doctor first.
"I had purchased a pair of CostCo hearing aids which I had paid $2,000 for and the hearing on the Modern Hearing is 5 times better and I only have it set on half power. Absolutely love them."
Margaret F., verified customer
| Way | A pair costs | Visit needed | Picks voices out of noise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicare | Pays $0 toward a hearing aid | No | No device |
| Clinic chains | $4,200 to $5,000 what buyers were quoted | Yes, several visits | Yes |
| Warehouse club | From $1,599.99 plus membership | Yes, in store | Yes |
| Online "amplifier" | $26 to $65 | No | No, louder only |
| Modern Hearing Comfort | $249.99 regular $500 | No | Yes, 16 channels |
Short answer: under $1,500, only one of the five ways picks voices out of the noise: the $249.99 pair.
| Hearing aid parts | $450 |
| Shipping from New Jersey | $8 |
| US phone and email support | $42 |
| Clinic rent, sales cut, visits | $2,850 |
| Regular price | $500 |
There is no clinic in the price. No rent, no sales cut, no fee for visits.
The company started because the founders’ own parents waited months for help. They came home with big devices that cost too much.
Orders ship from the New Jersey warehouse in 2 to 4 days. US phone and email support answers the questions a clinic would.
"I went to three different clinics. Miracle-ear wanted $4,200, Costco wanted $2,000. Then I found Modern Hearing for $249. Same technology, fraction of the price."
George L., verified customer
Setup happens at the kitchen table.
Charge the case and pick one of the five dome sizes in the box.
Put the aid in and set the volume. A video guide walks you through it.
Among the 3,409 reviews on trymodernhearing.com, the same things keep coming up.
Jim K.verified customer
"My wife been telling me for years I need hearing aids. Kept putting it off because who wants to spend 5 grand at miracle ear?? Found these online figured 249 was worth a try. 3 weeks in and tv is at volume 12 instead of 45. Wife cant believe it. Should of done this years ago"
John P.verified customer
"Still surprised how small these are, you can barely see them. Just a tiny white dot in your ear. My biggest problem was hearing people in noisy rooms. That’s exactly why I bought these. Even on the lowest setting, the sound is super clear."
Steve W.verified customer
"Amazing hearing aids, they’re so tiny, you don’t even see them! Better than my $5k ones"
If you want someone to fit and adjust your aids in person, and money is not a problem, a clinic will look after you. You will pay for it.
For everyone else, the people who cannot pay thousands, who do not want another visit, and who have an amplifier in a drawer: try the $249.99 pair first.
Decide at your own kitchen table.
"I have a broken $5000 pair of hearing aids and these are just as good, but without all the bells and whistles that I never used in the expensive pair."
Raymond H., verified customer
Since we priced the five ways, Modern Hearing has confirmed the National Hearing Week price for our readers: 50% off, the Comfort pair at $249.99 instead of $500.00.
Every order comes with a 45-day trial at home, a 1 year warranty and free insured shipping.
If they do not help you, send them back for a refund.
Comments (6)
Six-eight months ago I I spent $1,900 on a Jabra 700 Select aid. It’s currently collecting dust in a drawer. Your $250 Modern Hearing aid has performed perfectly. Keep up the great innovations.
I have owned a dozen different "in the ear" hearing aids and these are by far the best of the bunch. So comfortable that you don’t even realize that you have them in. So small, most folks don’t even realize that I’m wearing hearing aids, and the hearing results are phenomenal. I highly recommend these devices.
Love my new hearing aids! I love they have volume control! I can hear clearly for the first time in quite awhile! I would have wasted over $1300.00 at Costco to get the same quality of hearing that you have provided at a fraction of the cost!!
After returning a set from Amazon which was way to loud for me even on the lowest volume setting, along with hearing muffled and distorted voices. I was pleasantly surprised when my hearing improved with clear voices at any volume level I was comfortable with.
I actually went to an audiology and had a hearing test and purchased a new set of hearing aids for $7684 dollars.. they had a 30 day money back guarantee and I took them back. I have tried others online and professional hearing aids and the ones I have got from you are by far the best.
My first reaction when I saw the adverts was to think "that price is impossible", but I decided to try the hearing aids out. They took a little getting used to, but I am so glad I bought them. I no longer have to constantly say "pardon", and now the tv is on such a low setting that my wife needs the volume to be raised.