What are the Benefits of Buying or Selling Used Hearing Aids?

Have you ever found yourself holding onto a pair of used hearing aids?

This may surprise you, but there is a used hearing aid market out there that offers you the opportunity to transfer yours to someone else who needs them. Whether they belonged to a deceased family member or you’ve upgraded to something more advanced, you should opt to sell used hearing aids instead of tossing them away.

Several groups collect and distribute discarded hearing aids to people who require them, and many people do need them and don’t have access to them. Whether you’re looking at buying used hearing aids or want to know the laws behind how to sell hearing aids, we’ll cover everything you need to know.

You may have a friend or family member who has passed away and left behind used hearing aids for seniors. Or, if you need used hearing aids, you’ve spent hours online scouring through vendors selling used hearing aids. Regardless of which side of the transaction you fall on, it’s beneficial to know how to purchase secondhand hearing aids or what rules you need to follow if you sell them.

Knowing the type of hearing aid you need will help narrow down the steps necessary for purchasing used or refurbished hearing devices. The following aspects will determine if you can benefit from used hearing aids:

Used hearing aids will not fit someone else's ear if it is an In-The-Ear (ITE), In-The-Canal (ITC), or a Completely-In-Canal (CIC) device. These types of hearing aids have been cased explicitly for the original owner’s ear. If you try to put another person's In-The-Ear hearing aid in your ear (which should be avoided), it will either fall out, stick out, or be unpleasant to wear. This is due to the fact that the hearing aid was molded specifically to the shape and size of the original wearer's ear using an earmold impression.

However, while these forms of hearing aids are designed specifically for the individual, you can always have an In-The-Ear hearing aid "re-cased,” making it one method to increase used hearing aid values.

Re-casing the unit would include having a hearing healthcare expert take an earmold imprint of your ear and shipping the hearing aid along with the earmold impression to the hearing aid manufacturer to be re-cased. Once the device is returned from the manufacturer, your hearing healthcare expert will need to reconfigure the hearing aid to the prescription of your hearing loss after it has been re-cased.

Keep in mind that the cost of reprogramming and recalibration of a hearing aid can be relatively high. The hearing aid manufacturer, as well as the hearing healthcare practitioner, will charge for the re-casing and reprogramming. Purchasing a new hearing aid may be the most cost-effective alternative in this situation.

You won't need to re-case your used hearing aids if it's a Behind-The-Ear (BTE) model. Typically, a BTE model is a "one-size-fits-all" hearing aid type. However, the earmold, which attaches to the hearing aid, is not one-size-fits-all and must be purchased separately to use the hearing aid.

A hearing healthcare practitioner can order an earmold after obtaining an earmold impression. Similar to ITE models, a hearing healthcare expert will need to adjust the hearing aid to your hearing loss prescription after the earmold is complete.

While buying a new earmold is typically less expensive than having to recase a hearing aid, you will still have to pay for the used hearing aid to be reprogrammed to match your hearing needs. A second hand Behind-The-Ear hearing aid may only save you a small amount of money.

Before deciding on a pair of used hearing aids, you first need to find out how old they are because the technology is considered obsolete if they are more than five years old. While a hearing healthcare expert will need to reprogram the hearing aid, the programming restrictions of an older hearing aid may make it inadequate for your prescription.

Hearing aid technology is regularly upgraded, and once the new technology is implemented, many older versions are rendered useless.

A "fitting range" is the range of hearing loss that a hearing aid can tolerate with programming. In specific cases, an audiologist cannot reprogram used hearing aids to match your hearing needs if your hearing loss is outside the fitting range of the device you're using.  This factor needs to be accounted for when contemplating the usage of used hearing aids. Your hearing healthcare expert should be able to inform you if the hearing aid you're using is appropriate for your condition.

Getting a medical assessment is the first step in purchasing any hearing aid. A doctor, such as an otolaryngologist, generally performs these procedures. Before you are sent to an audiologist or other hearing healthcare expert for a hearing aid examination, a medical evaluation is performed to ensure that all possible treatable medical causes for your hearing loss are recognized. The doctor who performed the medical assessment will provide you with a statement stating that you have completed the medical evaluation.

However, despite the fact that a medical examination is advised, used or refurbished hearing devices are legal to buy and sell. You can probably obtain one without first seeing a doctor.

It’s not uncommon to see sellers who have put FDA warning statements on their used hearing aids ads on many second-hand online marketplaces. This measure is implemented to advise potential purchasers that getting a medical assessment first is in their best health interest. In instances that a buyer hasn't obtained one, they must supply the seller with a signed, written release. This practice isn’t universal, as other vendors do not include this responsible warning.

You do it at your own risk if you ignore the advice to seek a medical examination before acquiring a used hearing aid. Furthermore, a hearing healthcare specialist should assess your needs for an aid and assist you in determining which device is ideal for you.

At a minimum, if you choose to buy a secondhand hearing aid, you should have the earmolds professionally changed and/or disinfected by a professional hearing aid clinic, as they may contain bacteria from the prior owner. Used hearing aids must also be correctly programmed and installed by a hearing aid specialist.

Hearing aids that have been used or rebuilt (refurbished) can be sold, but they must come with packaging and a sticker that clearly states that they have been previously owned or used.

It’s important to note that used hearing aids being placed on sale are subject to the same laws as new devices on sale. These regulations are derived from Title 21, Section 801.420 of the Code of Federal Regulations, stating people can only sell hearing aids to those who have had a medical assessment from a licensed physician. This law is further compounded with The Food and Drug Administration adding to the requirement that hearing aids be sold only to those who have had a medical assessment within the preceding six months.

If a person refuses to get a medical assessment for religious or personal reasons, federal laws indicate that they can have a hearing aid if they sign a waiver. Even though this option is accessible, the rule explicitly indicates that it is not in the best interests of the individual's health, and it is strongly discouraged.

Millions of people have hearing loss across America and may benefit from donated or used hearing aids. To help those in need, numerous organizations have been established to collect and distribute used hearing devices.

While hearing loss is commonly associated with the elderly, the diversity and demographic of people that can benefit from hearing aids is staggering. Here are some figures that may shed light on the usefulness of used hearing aids:

• Hearing loss affects around 14% of the general population.
• 91 percent of individuals who have hearing loss are above the age of 50.
• 15% of school-aged children suffer from some form of hearing loss.
• Only 16 percent of the nearly 29 million people in need of hearing aids use them.
• While the average age of first-time hearing aid users is 70, only about a third of people over the age of 70 who require hearing aids have ever used them.

These figures are exceptionally concerning because undiagnosed hearing loss has been linked to health concerns such as cognitive deterioration, a higher risk of falling, and depression. In fact, studies are regularly published and continually demonstrate the importance of hearing to your overall health.

Many people leave their hearing issues untreated due to financial constraints. Your used hearing aids can make a huge difference in someone's financial well-being, quality of life, and health if they can't afford a new pair of hearing aids. 

Determining whether or not you require hearing aids can be a complicated and challenging process. It can become unbearable if you find that you can’t afford a medical device that can drastically improve your quality of life. However, with some research, you may be able to find used hearing aids that can make all the difference.

If you’d like to know more about selling or buying used hearing aids, contact the experts at EarPros. We’re here to answer your questions about top-rated hearing aids and accompany you on your journey to improved hearing.