For years he used a standard hearing aid, but if it got lost or broken, it cost a small fortune to replace. Bob made the switch. Only 20 percent of people with hearing impairment actually go out and wear hearing aids. Audiologist Bob Sweetow says stigma is part of the reason. So is price.
Hearing aids can cost thousands of dollars.
Enter disposable hearing aids, with a price tag of about forty dollars per aid. Patients wear them for about a month then toss them. But there are drawbacks. It has two tips that allow for some adjustment but not much. They also come in a limited number of strengths.