Comment Simple: Greed! (Score 1) 549
Short answer: Producing hearing aids is not super cheap, but we are also getting massively overcharged. (So, small lot size production costs may play a role.)
When one of my kids needed aids, our ENT said: "If you know somebody in Hong Kong, or someone who travels there, have them buy the aids for you there. They are produced in Asia, and you can basically buy them at cost. All name brands, all genuine. The companies just mark them up that much when they sell them here."
I looked into it (have an uncle who flies to that area twice a year), and boy, would you be surprised! Markup of the actual devices when coming to Western markets (wholesale) is is around 100%-150%, and when adding services (which means fitting/programming them) 150%-200%, or even more. So, if you buy two digital ones, it may still be cheaper to vacation over there and get them yourself. Or pay up to triple price at home. I just checked - still true.
I wound up not doing that because I could get the service for free - so I got them wholesale (and did not bother my uncle who is a great businessman but rather technophobe - not the person to have buy expensive electronic equipment for you). I am sure my health insurance would not let me do even that, but at that time I had to pay for them myself anyways.
So, that was the advice from a well-connected and well-regarded ENT, and I found it to be true.
In the end: we get fleeced. Simple as that.