I stumbled upon this thread while looking for local bus schedules 😊. My two cents: yes, hearing aids (HA) are outrageously expensive; however, to say "I can get them cheaper at XXX store" is useless advice. The type of HA determines (in part) the cost; the type, in turn, is determined by what kind and how profound one's hearing loss is. I'm congenitally deaf; have ~ 5% hearing in each ear. I am forced to wear behind-the-ear aids for bone conduction. These are extremely expensive--five or so years ago my sister bought me two at $7000+USD each. The life expectancy of this sort of HA is about five years; in the meantime one must have tubes and molds replaced and cleaning done. (Humid climates encourage accumulation of moisture within the tubes, which drastically affects hearing. Moisture-resistant tubing is available NOB but I have yet to find it here.) Some people can use in -the-ear aids, which are way cheaper. Although I've seen Dr. Carlos at Maskaras Clinic in San Antonio Tlay for mold replacement, I will probably go to Costco when I must get new aids. (Which I anticipate will be soon. Ulp.)
The analogy between the price of HA and medications is quite apt--if you need it to survive you can expect to pay through the nose. That is the how the corrupt, incestuous system of "democratic" capitalism works.
AND... Not all Hep C is caused by IV use. I lost a friend a couple of years ago who acquired it by blood transfusion in the days before screening...which isn't failproof, either.