Doctor creates affordable hearing aids costing less than $200

Editor: I've long been a proponent of less expensive and more readily-available hearing aids. So I'm thrilled to see an inexpensive aid that appears to meet those desires. Here's a press release from the folks at MDHearingAid. [Full Disclosure: MDHearingAid Advertises with Hearing Loss Web.]

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March 2010

MDHearingAid, Inc., a designer, manufacturer, and retailer of low-cost, medical-grade hearing aids, today announced the launch of the Acoustitone(tm) line of hearing aids.

With 34 million Americans experiencing hearing loss, but only 24% of those people using hearing aids, a physician has undertaken the challenge to make hearing aids more accessible.

Left untreated, hearing loss can lead to depression, social isolation, anxiety, and even symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's dementia.

"Hearing loss is a very common medical condition that has been long ignored by the insurance companies" says Dr Cherukuri, a board-certified otolaryngologist (ear, nose & throat doctor) from Chicago, IL, and founder of MDHearingAid.com. "And the cost of traditional hearing aids is simply out of reach for many of my patients."

According to market research, Medicare and the majority of insurance carriers do not routinely cover hearing aids, and the average cost of a single hearing aid is $1601 (and most patients would benefit from 2 hearing aids). 64% of respondents to the National Council of Aging survey cited cost as a prohibitive factor in the decision to use hearing aids.

For this reason, Dr Cherukuri set out to find a suitable alternative for his patients that could not afford traditional hearing aids. When none was found, he created the Acoustitone(tm) line of hearing aid to his exact specifications. "With today's technology, I could see no reason that we couldn't create a reasonable hearing aid for under $200. With the Acoustitone PRO(tm), I and many of our customers feel that we've done just that" says Cherukuri.

The Acoustitone PRO(tm) is a professional behind-the-ear hearing aid that has been tested by audiologists and other ear, nose and throat doctors and has been unanimously approved. Dr. Seilesh Babu, a nationally recognized authority on hearing loss who is not affiliated with MDHearingAid, stated "I have thoroughly evaluated the Acoustitone PRO(tm) and can comfortably say that this is an excellent option for those that cannot afford traditional hearing aids."

The Acoustitone MAX(tm) is a basic hearing aid for primarily home-bound seniors that need help hearing the television and family members.

Both models are "ready-fit", eliminating the need for an ear mold. They come with several different sizes of ear tips to fit most adults, and they are available directly to patients. If a more precise fit is required or desired, the Acoustitone PRO(tm) can be fit with a custom ear mold. MDHearingAid.com provides a 100% patient satisfaction guarantee and a risk-free trial.

"Our goal was to create the hearing aid equivalent of reading glasses", says Cherukuri. Both models have been registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as Class I medical devices. They can be found at www.MDHearingAid.com or by calling 888-670-HEAR.

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About MDHearingAid:

MDHearingAid, Inc and the Acoustitone(tm) line of hearing aids were created by Dr. Cherukuri, a board-certified Ear, Nose, & Throat physician in Chicago, IL. In his practice, he would encounter people who would benefit from hearing aids, but simply couldn't afford the thousands of dollars often needed to pay for them. He then began the quest for a "one-size-fits-most" hearing aid similar to reading glasses that can easily be purchased at the drug store. He created the Acoustitone(tm) line of hearing aids to his exact technical specifications, such that the range of sounds associated with the human voice would be amplified, without overly amplifying background sounds. The Acoustitone PRO(tm) hearing aid has been rigorously tested by leaders in the hearing loss field (ENT Physicians and Audiologists) who have unanimously agreed that the sound quality and output is surprisingly accurate given its low cost.

website: http://www.MDHearingAid.com