Purchasing Cheaper Hearing Aids Online and Still Getting €1k PRSI Refund

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MichaelMurphy70

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I recently saved some money with a purchase of some hearing aids and wanted to share the experience here in case useful to someone else.

My hearing has been getting worse for a few years so I decided to bite the bullet and get hearing aids. The model recommended to me by a friend is Widex and it was available from places in Ireland but costs almost €6k as I need for both ears.

I found a place in Europe that sells them for a thousand euros cheaper, however the guidance online was that you can only get the PRSI refund for hearing aids if it's from a "supplier that has a contract with the department", so I thought that basically the price would have worked out the same.

By applying to the relevant government department office (DSP in Donegal) - I was still able to get the PRSI refund and saved a thousand euros compared to the local price.

Of course a local provider such as SpecSavers or Hidden Hearing can give a much better and in person service compared to buying hearing aids online, but I thought to mention this cheaper alternative if you're comfortable buying online.
 
MichaelMurphy70 said:
Of course a local provider such as SpecSavers or Hidden Hearing can give a much better and in person service
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This and warranty repairs would be my concern, I've had close to a dozen warranty repairs in the last 4 years on my Specsavers pair. Often it's just the speaker crackling out but replacing that part would be 50-100 quid a go if not covered under warranty where someone in person can do the fix in person in five minutes.
 
The profit margin on hearing aids must be huge. The hardware is technically not much different to noise cancelling ear pods.

As Jdwex says, how did they handle the programming.
 
I would suggest going to a properly qualified audiologist. The hearing test should be conducted in a tightly sealed sound proofed box. This will generate an audiogram. This allows your hearing aid to be calibrated to your hearing loss. The part inserted in your ear also needs to be measured for comfort/fit.
The cost for one aid was less than 1500 and I got a grant I think for 500. It’s a Siemens and works very well.
 
Towger said:
The profit margin on hearing aids must be huge.
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It's honestly diabolical, they shouldn't cost multiples of the most expensive in-ear headphones but they do.

In the US Apple have been making noises about getting AirPod Pros certified to be used as hearing aids which would massively shake up the market on price, although their battery life as current wouldn't give you a full days usage which would be annoying to charge mid-afternoon.
 
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That's a fair point @balders93 regarding the warranty repairs. There is a warranty and I've had one component so far that required replacing (the charger). The process was that my audiologist just emailed me an Address Label, which I printed out, and then DHL collected the old one from my home and delivered the replacement. So it was ok for me so far. My hearing isn't that bad so if (when!) the hearing aids need replacing I'm happy to do without them for a few days while DHL does its stuff.

In terms of the programming @jdwex and @Towger , it's done remotely over a Zoom call with the Audiologist. There's a companion App on the phone and she can control the hearing aids remotely to do the Audiogram. If they need recalibrating then you just set up another Zoom call. It's been great so far at least in my case.

@January25 I fully agree a local supplier is better, however I just didn't want to spend the extra €1k. The person I deal with over Zoom is a fully qualified Audiologist, and the audiogram "curve" that she same up with over Zoom matches almost exactly the audiogram I had done in the hospital a while ago, so I think this method is ok for folks with mild to moderate hearing loss. There is also an App that measures your ear using your phone camera.

So the process for me has been great. I have an older relation who needs hearing aids also and I would not recommend it for him as he isn't comfortable with using Zoom or a mobile phone app, however for people who are a little more tech-savvy this is a good option.

If it's ok to mention the company that I used, it's called "Auzen" and is headquartered in Switzerland and they ship out of France. https://ie.auzen.com/
 
I need to do more research into what modern hearing aids are actually capable of, their use runs in the family... I am familiar with the audio processing used in live entertainment, radio and SDRs etc. The capabilities of DSP has increased dramatically and cost dropped in recent years. An audiogram gives the impression the programming is much the same as playing with the levels on a graphic equalizer, but there is probably also complex compression and noise reduction.
 
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A question -

Would buying the hearing aids abroad as the OP outlined also allow a purchaser to claim tax relief via the Med1? Are there any restrictions because the aids were supplied from outside Ireland?
 
gipimann said:
Would buying the hearing aids abroad as the OP outlined also allow a purchaser to claim tax relief via the Med1? Are there any restrictions because the aids were supplied from outside Ireland?
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Yes you can claim for treatment within the EU

Treatment Benefit Scheme

The Treatment Benefit Scheme is a scheme run by the Department of Social Protection that helps pay for dental, optical and aural services for people with the required number of PRSI contributions.
www.citizensinformation.ie www.citizensinformation.ie

Treatment Benefit in the EU
If you choose to have treatment in another EU member state, the DSP will pay an amount equivalent to the rate paid for similar treatments carried out in Ireland or the amount actually paid for the treatment - whichever is the lower. You must still have the qualifying PRSI contributions.
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Re repairs and warranties

My mother has very expensive hearing aids supplied and fitted by an audiologist who comes to her house. He spent ages fitting, adjusting etc. Cost about €8k.
However when one needed repair he had to send it abroad and it took 6 weeks.

So much for buying local.

They had a bad experience with a certain well known chain of opticians so wouldn’t even consider them and it suited them to have someone come to the house.

But at a price.
 
gipimann said:
Your links refer to the prsi grant (treatment benefit). I'm wondering about tax relief, which isn't the same thing.
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Sorry yes, as that was the original topic of the thread. But yes you should be able to get the 20% back on medical costs out of pocket above the treatment plan 1k.

Tax relief on medical expenses

You can claim tax relief on medical expenses that you pay for yourself or for someone else.
www.citizensinformation.ie www.citizensinformation.ie
 
It's been a game changer for me, @Towger I'd encourage anyone who suspects they may have some hearing loss to investigate hearing aids, even if you're young and "getting by". The modern ones are so small that you forget you're wearing them and the app is brilliant - you can switch to different settings based on the situation. For example, going to pubs was a hassle before due to the background music but there's a setting for that.

I found myself more confident in social settings as I don't have to always concentrate so much to hear, and I'm probably a bit less cranky also as I don't misunderstand things as much:D!
 
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