I started using HAs last year. Pretty much in the same boat as many of you. I was having more and more trouble hearing high frequencies which is a problem with speech, music and especially noisy situations like restaurants. I'm sure much of it originated from WAY too many loud concerts over a long period of time without protection.
Unfortunately my insurance covers the audiologist and hearing tests, but doesn't cover the hearing aids. I have what's considered mild to medium hearing loss. I knew 'prescription' HAs weren't going to be cheap, so I was nervous about the cost. I did a little research on the new generation of Over The Counter ones, which are definitely cheaper, but ultimately decided I should go with whatever the experts recommended right now. After all, my hearing's at stake! As it turned out they were about 1/2 as expensive as I thought they would be: ~$3,000 for a pair of Widex Moments. OTCs are about 30% less than that. These are rechargeable and come with an App that allows you to use different settings (set by the audiologist) in different situations. And you can also make your own adjustments.
I think these are supposed to last 3-5 years before the battery wears out and I have to get a new pair. Hoping by then that OTCs will be even cheaper and I'll have enough experience to be able to intelligently evaluate them then.