First off, I think the hearing aid industry is screwing us on prices. As a senior I shouldn't have to pay 6 to 7 thousand dollars for hearing aids! Secondly you have internet hearing aid providers that charge on the average of 2000 dollars less than my audiologist. The industry as a whole is screwed up! Ive personally have asked for better prices from 2 audiologists and after asking received quotes of 500 to 1000 dollar less than originally quoted. Had I not asked they would have gladly charged me full price. I feel like i'm dealing with used car salesmen!

I have no problem with my United healthcare insurance company buying me a new Phonak Paradise version Life Rechargeable battery waterproof and sweat proof hearing Aides and I only paid for 2 custom ears molds and wires and insurance protection damage to hearing Aides and I having no problems with my hearing Aides since I bought it in October 2022 and I thank you Dr.Cliff AuD For your information on Phonak hearing Aides.

If it wasn't for the financial help I'm getting from my insurance company, I wouldn't have been able to order my Phonak Lifes last week. I wouldn't have been able to afford any hearing aids other than some cheap OTC aids. So I probably wouldn't have ordered anything.

I was about to get hearing aids through Costco. My Medicare Advantage PPO plan would not apply the $1,000 per ear allowance for reimbursement if I purchased through Costco. Was going to get them anyway when I figured that I might as well see what I could be prescribed that would be covered without out of pocket expense. My hearing losses are not large, wanted to be able to hear the tv without turning the volume way up and some difficulty hearing people that are low talkers. Glad that I did. So far I am happy with the basic units provided and more than happy with the services this company provides. I realize that my needs may change and require more sophisticated units, but for now I am pleased.

I think that UHC doesn’t care one way or the other.

I just got phonak audio lumity 90 and I have UHC and they paid about 75% of the cost

I have Optimum Medicare Advantage and through Hear USA I was given Rexton BiCore hearing aids to replace Widex. Honestly, my Rexton are better than Widex and I did not have to pay anything, so this was a benefit.

Dr. Cliff not all MCR Advantage companies are bad. After watching Michael Moore’s film SICKO I decided I would not select United Health Care.

Blue Cross Blue Shield one of the biggest insurers here in Michigan hasn't had any hearing aid coverage since I was under my parents plan over 25 years ago. Most of my adult life Blue Cross Blue Shield is what was offered by the various companies I worked for.

I got the new Philips 9040 hearing aid at Costco this year, here in Missouri. I had to file an appeal with United Healthcare Medicare to get them to pay for the new hearing aid from Costco as out of network provider. They finally agreed. Still I saved hundreds of dollars over what my out of pocket cost would be to me getting them from in network.

My audiologist told me this exact issue last month with UH Hearing. Thankfully, at least for now I can choose to use my regular UH benefit to get the higher level aids with a deductible and Co-insurance or I can use UH Hearing at a lower cost but get the previous aid models. I know some people’s Insurance might only have the managed care portion for hearing aids.

I admit I can only go off my experience. But I have been trying to get hearing aids for over 3 years. Most often the Audiologist would want me to pay the full price upfront which included follow ups. Even if the insurance told them I only had to pay $×. They still wanted me to pay full price then get reimbursed. 2 weeks ago through Unithed Healthcare Hearing (I have their Surest insurance) I was able to get the top tech of the current model Phonak. Granted I live in metro Atlanta so I had a greater choice of Audiologists. Too me it looks like the only ones getting screwed is the patient. But I guess It is ok for Oticon to make money but not the insurance to save it

I have a UHC PPO plan in California that covered my Oticon 1's in full in January of this year, will I be a affected for my next pair in a few years? Does this affect all UHC plans including PPO's?

Is NationsHearing included on this list?

I just used United Healthcare for Oticon and they paid almost all of it.

I went to the VA in Manila and it was a terrible experience. The Doctor didn’t know what real ear measurement is. Also, he would let me see my test results. He said they will be available on the My Health VA website. Very frustrating experience. If I got hearing aids from the VA could I bring them into you and have real ear measurements done?

What’re the best top three insurance companies for hearing aid users?

My audiologist told this to me last week as am unable to order new h/a Intent. This is awful

I mean this may be a bad thing but least it'll give most people a chance to try a brand other than the one their used to so the situation isn't all bad I suppose

Why ain't Oticon just keeping their stuff on the shelves? Seems like they're causing all the fuss. I couldn't afford their fancy tech, but my plan could've covered it.

But more than 10 different brand pair hearing. No useful .( widex, seimen, pornak, 0ticon, resound..etc Have surgery ear.. Is not coheral. implants. 😢😅. Leh. Hopefully this implants will suitable me. Thank you dr.

Yep I had to pay 5.5K recently for Starkey Genesis thru BCBS. Just 3 years ago I got Phonaks free with Custom ear molds. The coverage has changed that much.

I find it pretty ironic that Oticon has to change their slogan as often as I change my underwear. First it was "people first" and that obviously wasn't the case - Now it's "life-changing technology" - and yet, if it's so life-changing, why is it so difficult for me to access it? The fact "Doctor" Cliff is placing the blame on UHC and being anything but transparent about this issue should speak volumes about who butters his bread.

How much of this is simply a move by William Demant to get their flagship products name out of the third party administrator groups, while as the same time slipping in the back door with Bernafon? They're doing this to feign support for private practices while still trying to keep their hands in the game under the guise of Bernafon -- just as they did in Big Box stores like Costco by putting their Philips product their and keeping the Oticon name out of it. William Demant can't have it both ways. Both audiologists AND insurance companies can see past these shenanigans -- as demonstrated by United Healthcare's move.

Not all insurance is bad. I have Kaiser. My hearing aid (I have unilateral hearing loss on the right side) was covered by my insurance 100%. Oticon too. Not some cheap piece of crap.

This all happened about 20 years ago in the vision insurance industry. Insurance companies completely screwed over the lens manufacturers, the providers and the patients. Now the insurance providers are becoming the manufacturers with lower tier offerings but premium prices (if you want to try using your insurance) and everybody is suffering except the big corporations. It’s taking a few decades but we’re finally at the point where states are creating laws to limit the abusing monopolies the insurance companies are creating in favor of protecting patients attempting to get honest healthcare from providers. Hopefully these laws targeting immoral vision insurance company practices carry over to stop the hearing aid insurance world from having the same dark decades of decline of patient focused care. Too many MBAs running around these companies looking at the population as wallets to squeeze rather than patients in need of quality care.

I've had UHC since I retired in 2017 and their hearing aid coverage has always sucked. I wish that was the only problem with United Healthcare. They are currently being sued for using a deeply flawed AI computer system to override doctors advice and deny needed healthcare coverage.

And this is why people are reaching for over the counter hearing aids from places like Costco. Can't blame them. Americans are hurting right now with gas prices, food prices, high interest rate mortgages, you name it.

Yeah, you can bet I've called them, my CEO, and the politicians who love this stuff. Wait until my wife finds out, she is the one who benefits the most from my hearing aids. "A Woman scorned" is not someone you want to be talking with on the receiving end of the phone. LOL.

Does this mean that Oticon is giving cash payers a discount count. I think not.

If your industry in hearing care wasn’t so ridiculously ripping us off, maybe we could get insurance.

I never had insurance that was good enough to pay for hearing aids :( alway s paid out of pocket.

So I guess Oticon Slogan of people first just joined Dr.Cliff’s slogan of money first

Why are you putting the blame on UHC? The price these hearing aid manufacturers charge is outrageous. They must have a high markup. UHC is trying to keep the costs inline

You Cliff and other audiologists and the hearing aid companies have been overcharging for years. Now its a big mess. You care zero about the public who need hearing aids. Save your outrage for the poor patients who need help.