SoundRestore is an independent referral service for free hearing screenings and modern, discreet hearing aids fitted by licensed audiologists. We lay out the four device styles, the trial terms, the follow-up tuning and the real costs in plain language — then every decision stays yours.
Information and referral only. SoundRestore is not a provider, insurer or pharmacy, and nothing here is medical advice or a diagnosis. Talk to a licensed provider about your hearing, and call 911 in an emergency.
One email. Two documents. The guide explains what a screening involves and how to read an audiogram; the worksheet gives you blank rows to fill in at the clinic, so two offices can finally be compared side by side.
Illustrative figures shown for layout purposes. Screening availability, trial windows, pricing and coverage vary by clinic, by state and by plan — confirm everything directly with the provider.
Nobody needs a brochure that says all four are wonderful. A retired teacher in Boise who wants the smallest thing that exists and a project manager in Albuquerque who lives on video calls are shopping for different devices. Prices below are example figures — never a quote.
Example pricing from $1,290 per deviceThe workhorse style. A small housing sits behind the ear with a thin wire or tube running into the canal. Larger controls, larger battery, and it fits the widest range of hearing profiles — which is why audiologists reach for it first in Tacoma clinics and Sarasota ones alike.
Trade-off: the most visible of the four styles, though modern receiver-in-canal housings are far slimmer than the beige units people picture.
Example pricing from $1,650 per deviceCustom-molded from an impression or a digital scan of your own ear, so no two are alike. This is the discreet option people ask about by name — it sits inside the canal and is hard to spot in conversation.
Trade-off: smaller batteries, smaller controls, and not every hearing profile or ear shape is a candidate. An audiologist has to look before anyone can say.
Example pricing from $1,850 per deviceDrop them in the case overnight, no tiny doors and no size-312 batteries to fumble at a kitchen table. Manufacturers commonly quote around a day of use per charge, with portable cases that hold several extra charges for travel.
Trade-off: battery capacity fades over years of cycling, and the cell is usually not user-replaceable. Ask what a battery service costs before the warranty ends.
Example pricing from $2,100 per deviceCalls, video visits, podcasts and turn-by-turn directions route from a phone straight to the devices, and a companion app lets you nudge volume or switch programs without touching your ear in a restaurant.
Trade-off: streaming draws power, app quality varies a lot by manufacturer, and compatibility with an older phone is worth testing in the office before you commit.
This is simply the order that keeps people from buying a device before they understand the terms attached to it. Scroll, and the pulse marker travels the care journey.
You get the Hearing Health Guide and the style-and-cost comparison worksheet. No health questions, no intake form, no phone tree. Read them at your kitchen table before anybody sells you anything.
You schedule directly with a clinic — a Grand Rapids office, a Boise one, whichever is the shorter drive. Bring the worksheet. Screenings at listed locations are described as no-cost with no purchase expected.
Typically a look in the ear canal, a set of tones through headphones at different pitches and volumes, sometimes words repeated back, and a chart called an audiogram. It usually runs 30 to 60 minutes. A screening is not a diagnosis.
If devices come up, ask for the trial window, the restocking fee, how many follow-up tuning visits are included, and the total out-the-door price in writing. Walking out to think about it is always a legitimate answer.
Sudden hearing change, ear pain, drainage, dizziness or ringing in one ear are reasons to contact a licensed provider promptly rather than shop for a device — and to call 911 if it is an emergency. A screening is not a diagnosis.
Listed locations describe screenings and fittings performed by licensed audiologists and licensed hearing instrument specialists. Ask for the clinician's name, license type and license number — a real office will hand it over without hesitating.
Many states set a minimum trial or return window for hearing aids, and clinic policies commonly land somewhere in the 30-to-45-day range. The length is only half of it: get the restocking fee, the fitting fee and the refund method on paper before you swipe a card.
First-fit settings are a starting point, not a finish line. Programs get adjusted after you have worn the devices through a noisy restaurant and a quiet church. Confirm exactly how many follow-up visits are bundled and what happens in month seven.
As an illustrative example only: a $3,000 pair financed over 24 months at a 0% promotional rate would be roughly $125 a month. Real terms, approval, APR and any deferred-interest clause come from the lender — never assume the promotional rate is the one you will get.
This is where hearing-aid marketing tends to get slippery. We are not going to. Nothing below is a coverage determination — only your plan can give you that.
Original Medicare (Parts A and B) generally does not pay for hearing aids or for the exams used to fit them. That surprises people every single week. Diagnostic hearing tests ordered by a doctor to investigate a medical problem are treated differently from a fitting exam — check with Medicare directly for your situation.
Some Part C plans fold in a hearing benefit, sometimes with a set dollar allowance, a restricted device catalog or an in-network-only requirement. What it covers changes by plan, by county and by plan year. The only reliable answer is the one on your own plan's evidence of coverage.
Adult hearing-aid coverage under Medicaid is set state by state and differs sharply between, say, New Mexico and Tennessee. Some employer and union plans include a hearing allowance. Veterans may have benefits through the VA. Each one has its own rules and its own paperwork.
Every dollar figure on this page is an illustrative example, not a quote and not an average. Prices, coverage, allowances and financing terms vary by plan, by location, by device and by year. Verify with your plan and with the clinic before you rely on anything.
No coverage promises, no guaranteed savings, no health outcomes. If a hearing listing anywhere offers you those, treat it as a warning sign and keep your card in your pocket.
Rated 4.8/5 by 2,900+ guide readers across 39 states (illustrative figures)
The worksheet had two blank lines I never would have thought to ask about: return window and restocking fee. I filled them in at two offices around Eugene and the answers were not remotely the same. That one page changed which clinic I went back to.
I stream a lot of calls for work, so the Bluetooth section was the part I actually read twice. I brought my four-year-old phone into the appointment and we tested pairing right there instead of finding out later at home in Chattanooga.
My Advantage plan turned out to have a hearing allowance I had never used, and the coverage checklist told me exactly which page of the plan booklet to look on. I called the number on my card before I booked anything in Des Moines.
Testimonials are illustrative examples, not statements from identified clients; individual experiences vary, and nothing here describes or promises a health result.
One email gets you both documents. No health questions, no intake form, no sales script — and no promises about your hearing, because nobody honest makes those from a web page.
Locations referenced on this page include Tacoma, WA · Boise, ID · Grand Rapids, MI · Chattanooga, TN · Sarasota, FL · Des Moines, IA
