How The Vision-Impaired Are Being Gouged By Aid Device Makers

2 Responses to How The Vision-Impaired Are Being Gouged By Aid Device Makers

1. Robert Hoffman says:

   3 November 2018 at 1:16 pm

   Your article claims that manufacturers could earn more by pricing lower and selling more. You don’t understand this market. These people are not selling to the customer. They’re selling to the insurers. They want it to be as expensive as possible and still get organizations like the Veterans Administration to pay for it. There is no incentive for them to cut the price. A lot of assistive technology is like this. True, the market is smaller and there are development costs but assistive tech is for the most part overpriced and poorly engineered.

   I’m lucky enough not to be impaired (yet). I have a sister who is totally blind and seriously hearing impaired. The number of products which could help is pitiful. The prices are high. In her case, almost nothing is covered by insurance. Hearing aids? Try $5,000 a pair. An outright scam. She gets $500 a month which is supposed to cover food, clothing, shelter. Our government has an evil sense of humor.

   Look at the prices of most other items intended for the disabled. They’re not priced to be affordable by the users. People don’t care. Get to your last year of life and you can spend all the earnings of a lifetime in a heartbeat.

   Reply
   • Stewart Wolpin says:

     13 December 2018 at 5:02 pm

     Robert – Actually, these vendors ARE selling direct to consumers (my mother checked several of them out via company sales people), and, you’re right, most are NOT covered by insurance.

     Reply

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