These are the All Time TOP 38 Frequently Asked Questions
(double click on the links to take you directly to the answer)

1.   How do you know you will benefit from hearing aids?

2.   Why should you try hearing aids?

3.   How does a Hearing Aid work?

4.   Are there limitations with hearing aids?

5.   How can you sell your hearings aids at such an affordable price?

6.   Do you provide local service? 

7.   Where are your Hearing Aids made?

8.   Where are your Headquarters?

9.   What is the total cost of the hearing aid?

10. How long do your hearing aid batteries last?

11. Is there a trial period to test the hearing aids?

12. What fees are nonrefundable if the aids are returned after the trial period?

13. How long is the warranty?

14. Can the warranty be extended to cover Loss and Damage?

15. Does the warranty cover future maintenance and repairs?

16. Is CenturyHearingAids a member of Better Business Bureau?

17. What does the Food and Drug Administration say about buying a Hearing Aid over the internet?

18. Is a Medical Exam Needed to Purchase Hearing Aids?

19. Will my hearing become worse if I wait to buy hearing aids?

20. Will my hearing aids stop the ringing or Tinnitus?

21. What do you mean by Ready-to-Wear, No Exam Needed, One-Size-Fits-All?

22. Should I buy one or two hearing aids?

23. What is the difference between Digital and Analog Hearing Aids?

24. How will I know if the Rosebud brand of hearing aids will work for me?

25. You say that the Rosebud Open Fit is your best seller, Why is that?

26. What are the Bands/Channels of a Hearing Aid?

27. What is an Audiogram?

28. What are Hearing Aid "Memories"?

29. What is an Occluded Tip?

30. I just received my hearing aids what do I do now?

31. My Rosebud® Open Fit Hearing Aid Stopped Working what do I do now?

32. How can I care for my hearing aid?

33. Is the hearing aid covered by Insurance?

34. Should I buy the Hearing Aid Loss and Damage Warranty?

35. Can I deduct the hearing aid as a medical yes expense?

36. Do I have to pay sales tax?

37. Is your website secure for credit card transactions?

38. Are Hearing Aids covered by Medicare?

39. What is Adaptive Directionality?

1. How do you know you will benefit from hearing aids? 
Your family and friends have to repeat what they say--on a regular basis.
You get frustrated from not understanding what others are saying.
You have to turn the television up so high it disturbs the rest of your family.
You have trouble hearing or understanding what was said when there is lots of background noise.
Your family members are constantly say that you are hard of hearing—and you should get your ears checked.
You miss hear parts of a telephone conversation.
You actually go out of your way to avoid going to places where its noisy.
You have a mother or father that you know is losing their hearing.  

2. Why should you try hearing aids?
New hearing aid technologies provide benefits like never before.
Your hearing loss is more noticeable than hearing aids will ever be.
Conversations will be less stressful by not having to ask others to repeat themselves as much.
Television volumes set at levels comfortable to others.
Conversation on the phone made easier
Enjoy the theater, church services, shopping, and being with family and friends with the confidence of being able to hear and communicate in many different situations.
Hear the pleasant sounds of nature: water falls, birds and leaves rustling in the park or even the pleasant sound of a cat purring.

3. How does a Hearing Aid work?
The hearing aid is a sound amplifier. The Hearing aid consists of four basic components:

1. A microphone to pick up the sounds around you and converts it into a signal, which it sends to the amplifier.

2. An electronic amplifier that increases the volume of the sound and sends it to the receiver.

3. A receiver/speaker changes the signal back into sound and sends it back into the ear. Then those impulses are then sent to the brain.

4. And a battery to provide power to the hearing aid.
   

4. Are there limitations with hearing aids?  

• Hearing aids do NOT restore normal hearing. In contrast, eyeglasses can restore 20/20 vision.
• Hearing aids amplify all sounds, including background noise that you do not wish to hear.
• Hearing aids may require an adjustment period that may take several months.
  
• When you begin to use hearing aids, many sounds, including your own voice, might seem too loud.
• You will need to learn how to adjust the settings for hearing aids with more complicated technology.

5. Why does my Doctor charge so much for their hearing aids—and how can you sell your hearings aids at such an affordable price?
Great Question and there are a couple of answers to that...

We actually have our hearing aids manufactured by a company that makes other well known name brand hearing aids----where we share the savings in component prices of all the materials; the microphone, electronic circuit amplifier and the receiver speaker and the assembly and pass those cost savings on to you.

And two, we also do not have to pay for the overhead of an office, staff, and we do not preform fitting/moldings...again, passing those cost savings onto you. Look around on the internet, Rosebud Hearings Aids are the most affordable hearing aids available.

6. Do you provide local service?   
No,  we sell mail order ready-to-wear and programmed to your audiogram hearing aids at very affordable prices.   When you buy $1300-$6000 hearing aids local you are paying for local service.  Our hearing aids are for people that don't have thousands of dollars to spend because they are on a limited budget.   Studies show that 20% of customers will require follow-up tweaking on their hearing aids.   If this is you, you can send the hearing aid back and we can reprogram.  If you decide to see a local specialist, you will mostly likely have two choices:  1.  they will refuse to see you because you bought on the "Internet" or 2.  they will charge high fees to work with you.   If you cannot go the "local" service route, and you need more tweaking on your hearing aids--we will do everything we can to make it a good fit. 

7. Where are your Hearing Aids made?
The Rosebud Hearing Aids are manufactured in the United States of America.   ISO9001 Certified.

8. Where are your Headquarters?
We are headquartered in Tucson, Arizona.

9. What is the total cost of the hearing aid?
Aside from the cost of the hearing Aids, you will need to purchase batteries. The RoseBud Hearing Aids use common size 312,size 10 or size 13 hearing aid batteries—which can be found at stores like: Costco, Walmart, Wagreens or CVS. One Hearing Aid Battery lasts for 6-7 days depending much you use your aid through-out the day.

10. How long do your hearing aid batteries last?
312 batteries will last approximately 190 - 225 hours--or 18 days--thats If you take the hearing aids off before you go to bed and open the battery 

10 batteries, last about 60-80 hours or 5-7 days---if you take the hearing aids off before you go to bed and open the battery door.

13 batteries, last about 284 hours or 3-4 weeks---if you take the hearing aids off before you go to bed and open the battery door.

11. Is there a trial period to test the hearing aids?
Yes, Rosebud Hearing Aids come with a 60 Day Money Back Guarantee

12. What fees are nonrefundable if the aids are returned after the trial period?
There is a 100% money back satisfaction guarantee in the 60 day trial period.

13. How long is the warranty?
Rosebud Hearings Aids come with a one year warranty, valid starting from the date of shipment. The warranty covers repairs due to manufacturing defects. No warranty claims will be considered if an aid shows normal wear and tear, improper handling or care, chemical influences, or was penetrated by moisture. In case of damage caused by third parties or non-authorized service, the Rosebud Hearing Aid warranty is null and void. Extended warranties are available for purchase at additional cost.

14. Can the warranty be extended to cover Loss and Damage?
Yes, for an additional $99, a One Year (1) Optional Extended Warranties Century Hearing Aids warranty program covers the cost of repairing or replacing your accidentally lost or damaged hearing aid(s). This is a one-time replacement per hearing aid.

15. Does the warranty cover future maintenance and repairs?
Yes, The warranty provider will replace or repair any failures or defective units within the warranty period from the original date of purchase.

16. Is CenturyHearingAids a member of Better Business Bureau?
Yes we are with an A- rating...check us out here:  BBB

17. What does the Food and Drug Administration say about buying a Hearing Aid over the internet?
Here's a lot of legalese...

Ordinary hearing aids are Class I "restricted devices" under the Federal Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") regulations adopted pursuant to the Medical Device Amendments of 1976 (21 U.S.C. § 360k (a) (2005)). The 1976 statute explicitly prohibits any state requirement that is "different from, or in addition to, any requirement applicable" to regulated medical devices (which includes hearing aids) which relates "to the safety and effectiveness of the device." 21 U.S.C. 5 360k (a) (2005). Inconsistent state regulation is preempted under the federal law. Under this grant of federal statutory authority, the FDA began to establish uniform conditions of sale for hearings aid in the late 1970s. In a series of rulemaking proceedings from 1977 to 1980, the FDA established federal rules governing hearing aid sales, and addressed various requests by state authorities for exemptions from federal preemption, granting some and denying others.

Under the 1977 FDA rule, hearings aids may be sold by mail under defined conditions. As "restricted devices" under FDA regulation, hearing aids sold through advertising that is false or misleading are deemed "misbranded" under the Medical Device Amendments and may subject the seller to penalties. The Federal Trade Commission also regulates the interstate marketing of hearing aids to protect consumers.

CenturyHearingAids is required to advise all prospective purchasers that the Food and Drug Administration has determined that it is in your best health interest to seek a medical evaluation by a licensed physician prior to purchasing any hearing aid, and waiver of such evaluation may not be in your best interest.

18. Is a Medical Exam Needed to Purchase Hearing Aids?
While we encourage a proper relationship between you and a medical professional, you do not need a medical exam to purchase a hearing aid from us.  The FDA grants you the right to waive a medical exam. The next paragraph is the statement that the FDA requires that you agree to before purchasing hearing aids online.

Waiver to Medical Evaluation Requirements: This is to inform you that the Food and Drug Administration has determined that it is in your best health interest to obtain a medical evaluation by a licensed physician, who specializes in diseases of the ear; then to be tested by an audiologist, or hearing aid dispenser utilizing established procedures and instrumentation in the fitting of hearing instruments. Note: Ordering a hearing instrument from this Website constitutes your acknowledgment and acceptance of this Waiver to Medical Evaluation Requirements.

19. Will my hearing become worse if I wait to buy hearing aids?
Research shows that the ability to distinguish what we hear deteriorates more rapidly as we age and if the hearing is not continuously stimulated. Not wearing hearing aids will not cause your hearing to become worse, but it may make it more difficult to benefit from hearing aids later on.

20. Will my hearing aids stop the ringing or Tinnitus?
Hearing Aids will not cure the ringing in your ears, but the ringing may become less noticeable when you are using the hearing aid.

21. What do you mean by Ready-to-Wear, No Exam Needed, One-Size-Fits-All?
The Rosebud hearing aids come with a clear ear tube for the Open Fits and three domes (small/medium/large) for the Completely in the Canal that connect the hearing aid to your ear. These domes are designed to fit most adults.

22. Should I buy one or two hearing aids?
There are two reasons to purchase two hearing aids, 1. Two hearing aids allow you to hear what direction the sound is coming from and 2. The brain processes hearing signals or competing sounds from both ears for improved clarity and a more balanced sound. You will be able to hear much better with two hearing aids, and your satisfaction with the hearing aids will be much higher. If you use only one hearing aid but have hearing loss in both ears, the brain has to process two different sound and clarity levels, which makes it more difficult to obtain a clear understanding of the sound signal. Today, about two-thirds of new purchasers opt for dual hearing aids, and as a group, they report a higher level of satisfaction than purchasers of a single aid.

Here a few advantages of two hearing aids:

• You may experience improved ability to locate origin of the sound
• You may experience greater speech understanding in noisy environments
• You may experience a reduced need for adjusting the volume of your hearing aid

23. What is the difference between Digital and Analog Hearing Aids?
Analog hearing aids amplify sounds -- the trouble is they amplify all sounds equally. So while your wife is recounting stories of her recent meeting, her voice is being drowned out by the competing sounds of the television, air conditioner and vacuum cleaner. Some analog hearing aids are programmable, meaning that they can hold separate settings for different listening situations. You can "change the channel" to adjust certain sounds louder or softer, depending on your preferences and hearing loss. But because they aren't as sensitive as digital hearing aids, analog hearing aids are being gradually phased out. Most hearing aids sold today are Digital.

24. How will I know if the Rosebud brand of hearing aids will work for me?
For many reasons, chief among them cost, some people want to wear only one hearing aid (monaural amplification) rather than two (binaural amplification). For people with hearing loss in one ear, one hearing aid may be sufficient. However, if you have hearing loss in both ears, experts say it's better to wear two aids because they will help you distinguish between different sounds and identify from which direction sounds are coming. Research finds that wearing one hearing aid can actually deteriorate hearing in the "good" ear.

Every person’s hearing loss will be different as is every person’s ability to rehabilitate their hearing loss with hearing aids. Your satisfaction with hearing aids depends on the type and degree of your hearing loss and your expectations. No hearing aid (even the most expensive ones) can restore normal hearing, and not everyone will benefit equally. There is no 100% guarantee that your mail order hearing aids will help your hearing loss. There just hasn't been a hearing aid invented that can work for everyone. The only way to know how you will benefit will be to try them for 60 days.

25. You say that the Rosebud Open Fit is your best seller, Why is that?
Our customers say its because of the the ease of fitting it on your ear, they also say it is more comfortable than the In the Canal—where the tubes do not completely fill the ear canal and lastly that the small size makes the open-fit style almost unnoticeable when wearing them.

26. What are the Bands/Channels of a Hearing Aid?
A person who has hearing within the normal range, can hear sounds that have frequencies between 20 and 20,000 Hz. The most important sounds we hear every day are in the 250 to 6,000 Hz range. Speech includes a mix of low and high frequency sounds. Vowel sounds like “u” have low frequencies (250 to 1,000 Hz) and are usually easier to hear. Consonants like “s,” “h,” and “f” have higher frequencies (1,500 to 6,000 Hz) and are harder to hear. Consonants convey most of the meaning of what we say. Someone who cannot hear high-frequency sounds will have a hard time understanding speech.

Hearing Aids divide the range of frequencies, 250hz to 6000hz, into smaller units or groups called Bands or Channels. The Hearing Aid allows you to control these frequencies so that you can tune into specific frequencies—without amplifying the entire range frequencies.

Here is the best article written on Channels- Audiology Online

27. What is an Audiogram?
An audiogram is chart/graph that is created by using a device called an Audiometer. Audiograms are a standard way of representing a person's hearing loss. Most audiograms cover the limited range 100Hz to 8000Hz (8 kHz) which is most important for clear understanding of speech, and they plot the threshold of hearing relative to a standardized curve that represents 'normal' hearing. The audiometer is calibrated to produce sounds at pitches associated with human speech. The audiometer tracks the volume level at which you detect each pitch or tone across the frequency range where human speech takes place.  Here are Audiograms for Normal, Mild, Moderate and Severe Hearing Loss:

28. What are Hearing Aid "Memories"?
Like tuning your car radio to a specific station....Memories are “settings” that can be stored or programmed into the hearing aid. Memories allow you to adjust your hearing aid to different listening situations. For example: Memory 1 would be for quiet listening or general listening. Memory 2 would be for noisy situations like a crowded restaurant, communicating in group meetings, or church settings, or operating machinery. Memory 3 is for music listening. Memory 4 would be for using the telephone.

29. What is an Occluded Tip? 
Occlude is defined as to close, shut, or stop up a passage or opening.  An Occlude Tip completely closes off or shuts up or covers the ear canal.  Occluding and sealing the ear with an hearing aid increases the efficiency with which bone-conducted sound is transmitted at the frequencies below 2 kHz.

30. I just received my hearing aids what do I do now?
Getting used to a hearing aid takes time. Your listening skills should improve gradually as you become accustomed to amplification. The sound you hear is different because it's amplified. Even your own voice sounds strange when you wear a hearing aid.

Though it may be awkward at first, over time you'll adjust to the device and enjoy your enhanced ability to hear and communicate in a variety of situations. By wearing your hearing aid regularly and taking good care of it, you'll likely notice significant improvements in your quality of life.

Allow time to get used to the hearing aid. It may take several weeks or months before you're used to the hearing aid. But the more you use it, the more quickly you'll adjust to amplified sounds.

When first using a hearing aid, keep these points in mind:

•  Hearing aids won't restore your hearing to normal. Unlike corrective eyewear that restores your vision to normal, hearing aids can't restore normal hearing. They can improve your hearing by amplifying soft sounds and reducing loud background noises.

• You will begin to hear sounds you have not heard in a long time when you start wearing hearing aids. Chances are, that you didn't lose your hearing overnight. It most likely developed gradually, over a long period of time. Now that you are wearing hearing aids, it will most certainly take time to become reacquainted with the wonderful world of sound. Keep in mind that there are also harsh noises to which you have grown unaccustomed. Perhaps you had no idea that your refrigerator was making that horrible squealing noise!  Soon, you will become once again accustomed to the sounds you've been missing.
  
  

31. My Hearing Aids Stopped Working what do I do now?
Your Mini Behind the Ears hearing aid requires frequent cleaning. Quite often, a customer will send back a hearing aid for repair stating that it stopped operating, when the problem was simply a wax build up.

If you experience a lack of amplification, you should first clean your tubes. To do this, simply remove the tube from your hearing aid and run the cleaning wire all the way through until it comes out the other side. For best results, do this a few times, alternating the side that you start from.

Be sure to remove the tube before using your cleaning wire before cleaning. If you fail to do this, you will likely push the debris into the instrument’s casing, causing the aid to break. This could be deemed as improper handling and void your warranty.

A quick way to test if your problem is with the tube or the instrument itself is to remove the tube and place a brand new battery in the instrument. Close the battery door and wait ten seconds. Turn the volume on the hearing aid all the way up and place the instrument in the palm of your hand. Now, slowly make a fist. Your instrument should start making a squealing sound. You may want to have somebody without a hearing problem with you, as folks that suffer from high frequency hearing loss may not hear the squealing sound.

If your instrument makes the squealing sound as you close your fist, then the problem is with your tube. Follow the cleaning steps above. If your instrument makes the squealing sound, but still does not amplify when you replace the tube, then you may need a tube replacement. Tubes do not last forever. They should be changed every few months.  Contact Century Hearing Aids about acquiring replacement tubes.

If your hearing aid fails to make any noise when trying the above exercise, then it may very well need repair or replacement. Rosebud stands behind all of there hearing aids with a manufacturer warranty. This warranty covers malfunctions due to the manufacturing of the instrument. It does not cover misuse, so be careful not to get your hearing aid wet or be handled roughly.

32. How can I care for my hearing aid?
Proper maintenance and care will extend the life of your hearing aid. Make it a habit to:

•  Keep hearing aids away from heat and moisture.
• To prolong battery life, open battery doors or turn off your instruments when not in use.
• Clean hearing aids as instructed. Earwax and ear drainage can damage a hearing aid.
• Avoid using hairspray or other hair care products while wearing hearing aids.
• Turn off hearing aids when they are not in use.
• Replace dead batteries immediately.
• Keep replacement batteries and small aids away from children and pets.

33. Is the hearing aid covered by Insurance?
Unless you're a military veteran who qualifies for virtually free hearing aids from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, you'll have to find a way to pay for them yourself.  So...Unfortunately no, most private US health care providers do not provide coverage for hearing aids, so all costs are usually borne by you.

Medicare, covers certain medical expenses for people over the age of 65, the cost of the hearing aid is not covered under this program. Again, private insurance companies do not cover the cost of hearing aids since hearing aids do not fall under the category of prosthetic devices. Since 2008, Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) provides hearing aid benefit to the dependent children of federal employees.

Although if an adult has a hearing loss which substantially limits major life activities, some state-run vocational rehabilitation programs can provide upwards of full financial assistance.

34. Should I buy the Hearing Aid Loss and Damage Warranty?
Hearing aids are small devices that can be damaged by ear wax and ear drainage. They are not water resistant and can break easily, if stepped on. For most people, Hearing Aids are expensive devices that have to be purchased out of pocket by a individuals without any financial assistance from insurance companies.

The very fact that they can get damaged easily, makes hearing aid Loss and Damage Warranty a must for people who have invested a great deal of money in order to improve their hearing loss.

35. Can I deduct the hearing aid as a medical yes expense?
YES! The cost of hearing aids is a tax-deductible medical expense.

36. Do I have to pay sales tax?
Only if the shipment is sent to Arizona

37. Is your website secure for credit card transactions?
You can shop at CenturyHearingAids.com online with confidence. We have partnered with Authorize.Net, a leading payment gateway since 1996, to offer safe and secure credit card and electronic check transactions for our customers.

The Authorize.Net Payment Gateway manages the complex routing of sensitive customer information through the credit card and electronic check processing networks. The company adheres to strict industry standards for payment processing, including:

*  128-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology for secure Internet Protocol (IP) transactions.

*  Industry leading encryption hardware and software methods and security protocols to protect customer information.

*  Compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard.

For additional information regarding the privacy of your sensitive cardholder data, please read the Authorize.Net Privacy Policy.

38.  Are Hearing Aids covered by Medicare?
Unfortunately no.  Medicare doesn’t cover routine hearing exams, hearing aids, or exams for fitting hearing aids.  In 2010, YOU pay 100% for routine exams and hearing aids. You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for the doctor’s services for covered exams. In a hospital outpatient setting, you pay a copayment. Please read this document for more information about hearing aids and medicare http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/10116.pdf

39.  What is Adaptive Directionality?
Most older hearing aids have only an omnidirectional microphone. An omnidirectional microphone amplifies sounds equally from all directions. In contrast, a directional microphone amplifies sounds from in front more than sounds from other directions. This means that sounds originating from the direction the listener is facing are amplified more than sounds from behind or in other directions. If the speech is in front of the listener and the noise is from a different direction, then compared to an omnidirectional microphone, a directional microphone provides a better signal to noise ratio. Improving the signal to noise ratio improves speech understanding in noise. Directional microphones is one of the best methods to improve the signal to noise ratio.

Some new hearing aids now have both an omnidirectional and a directional microphone. This is because speech often comes from directions other than in front of the listener. Usually, the omnidirectional microphone mode is used in quiet listening situations (e.g. living room) whereas the directional microphone is used in noisy listening situations (e.g. restaurant). The microphone mode is typically selected by using a switch. Some hearing aids automatically switch the microphone mode.

Adaptive directional microphones vary the direction of maximum amplification. The direction of amplification is varied by the hearing aid processor. The processor attempts to provide maximum amplification in the direction of the speech signal. Unless the user manually temporarily switches to a "restaurant program, forward only mode" adaptive directional microphones have a disadvantage of amplifying speech of other talkers in a restaurant. This makes it difficult for the processor to select the desired speech signal. Another disadvantage is that noise often mimics speech characteristics, making it difficult to separate the speech from the noise. Despite the disadvantages, adaptive directional microphones can provide improved speech recognition in noise.  Directional microphones only provide benefit when the distance to the talker is small.