Doctor holding a sign that reads All About Audiologists

Why See an Audiologist?

Hearing health is part of your overall health.

An audiologist is a licensed medical professional trained to evaluate and treat hearing and balance disorders. They use advanced tests to give you real answers — and real options.

A full hearing evaluation usually costs between $100–$300. If the evaluation is ordered by a physician, Medicare will pay for a portion of the fee. Medicare Advantage plans often have a hearing aid benefit as well. Consult your Medicare guide and your other insurance providers to learn what is available for you.

If you’re noticing signs of hearing changes, seeing an audiologist is the best way to take control of your hearing health.

What Happens at a Hearing Exam?

At your first appointment, you’ll likely get an audiogram — a painless test that measures how softly you can hear different pitches of sound.

You’ll sit in a soundproof booth with headphones and listen for tones. The results are plotted on a graph showing the quietest sounds you can hear at high and low frequencies. Combining this test with additional information equips your audiologist to discuss options for successful treatment.

Check out this simple guide to understanding an audiogram.

What’s Your Hearing Number?

A hearing number is a new way to quickly monitor and track hearing loss, just as you do other health numbers, such as cholesterol.

The Hearing Number simply tells you the softest speech sound you can hear. You have two Hearing Numbers: one for your right ear and one for your left ear. And they can be as low as -10 and as high as 85 decibels (dB) or more. The higher your Hearing Numbers are, the harder it will be to hear and communicate in noisy places.

That is right—and it’s not just you. Everybody’s hearing changes over time because the parts of the inner ear that detect sound wear out throughout our lives.

Click here for more information about hearing numbers.

A graphic that shows normal hearing loss over time

Get the Full Picture

A very basic hearing test only measures how loud a sound has to be before you notice it — not how well you understand what’s being said.

To get a fuller picture, ask your audiologist about these additional tests:

Speech in Noise (SIN) Test: Measures how well you understand speech with background noise.
Speech Intelligibility Index (SII): With or without hearing aids, this test shows how much speech you can actually understand.
Word Recognition Score (WRS): Tells how clearly you can understand words — even if you “hear” them.
Real Ear Measurement (REM): Confirms whether your hearing aid is working properly for your unique ear shape and hearing profile.