I’ve never worn HA, but I was concerned enough to have my hearing tested about 18 months ago. Since I’m in the Boston area, I went to the audiology department at Mass Eye & Ear. The test did show some hearing loss, but I was told I couldn’t get further care from MEEI because they’re not in-network for my HA coverage. So I called Cigna to find out what exactly was covered by my PPO plan. That’s how I learned about Amplifon, because the Cigna rep said I could only go to this one store, and I would have to get my hearing tested at that store, and I couldn’t just call the store to make an appointment; I had to consent to my personal information being shared and then wait for them to call me. On top of this, Cigna provided no written details of the coverage, as they do for vision or other medical care. The rep wouldn’t give me exact figures, but in general I learned that my out-of-pocket costs would still be in the thousands of dollars! I felt as if I was being railroaded, and the whole thing smelled like a scam to me, so I backed out of the Amplifon appointment altogether. Was I being overly suspicious? I was furious that I couldn’t just continue to get care at MEEI and that I’d be forced into getting “care” from a business whose website didn’t even list the names of their audiologists.
Since the audiogram from my previous test has expired, I’m thinking of going back to Mass Eye & Ear for another evaluation and then using it to buy OTC hearing aids, as my hearing loss is only mild. I’d appreciate hearing from people who have more experience with HA than I do, especially if you’ve dealt with Amplifon as a retailer. Thanks!
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