Not very: Working with a licensed hearing care professional will provide you with hands-on support from a hearing expert in your area. At your appointment, you'll have the opportunity to talk about your hearing options, have your hearing checked, review the results, learn about available hearing aids and get a recommendation for a prescription hearing aid.
Very: If you own a smartphone and are comfortable downloading apps, over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids could be a good options for you. OTC hearing aids can be purchased without and appointment or prescription and come with a companion app to finetune settings and access support. OTC hearing aids work best for individuals with self-diagnosed mild-to-moderate hearing loss, so if you have diagnosed hearing loss it will be best to continue using prescription hearing aids and working with your hearing care professional.
I’m somewhere in the middle: As a UnitedHealthcare Hearing member, you have access to a no-cost hearing exam and consultation. If you’re unsure about your options or want help learning about hearing aids, meeting with a hearing care professional to begin with is a great way to start your journey.