Is HearUSA Reliable or a Rip Off?

Hearing Aids
1

When you look at HearUSA from the outside it comes across as another HA vendor/service that sells a variety of hearing aids. And I assume the company carries the most current HA brands, as in new 2019 models. Price wise I have no idea how they compare to competitors, but I do think HearUSA is tied in with the health insurance companies like Kaiser Permenante. Which means you might be able to get discount (up to $1000) for each aid you purchase.

But when you look deeper in the “nuts and bolts” of the company you have to wonder if HearUSA is really a reliable company on many levels. For one I don’t believe the company has professional audi’s with “Dr.” in front of their name to test someone hearing loss. Two, the audi’s they have seem to be extremely young, and have limited time with the company as in here today - gone tomorrow. The company has a website with email contact offered - but when I’ve used this I get no response back. Nothing. Furthermore there have been reports if you give HearUSA your phone number you will be called repeatedly over and over again, even after you told the company you don’t plan to use them for hearing testing or HA purchase.

So I’m curious if anyone here has good or bad experiences dealing with HearUSA. And from a cost factor can you just pay for HA molds out of pocket and then get a full on any other costs if new HA don’t work out? As in - new HA’s didn’t improve hearing during trial period and were returned “at no extra cost to customer”. My assumption is HearUSA is out to make money one way or another, and that could mean someone might have to pay up front or puts down a sizeable deposit before they test HA’s. Then if new aids don’t work out - HearUSA might not fully refund someone’s full deposit.
Unfortunately I don’t know all the “fine details” and up front costs that HearUSA might charge someone, versus Costco. Could be wrong but one has to wonder about the financial stability of HearUSA versus competitors like Costco.

2

My insurance sent me to HearingUSA where they provided me with some low-cost hearing aids, my first. I wasn’t charged (insurance paid) nor did they try to upsell me.

In fact, it was the audiologist there who told me during our conversation that my hearing loss may very likely be service connected and she suggested I contact the VA. It took months, but the result is I now receive much better hearing aids from the VA and I wouldn’t have known about the possibility without the HearingUSA audiologist.

I can’t say I would spend my own money there vs. CostCo or something else, but my total experience was certain a good and worthwhile one.

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I assume you mean HearUSA? If so, Consumer Reports did a rating based on a survey of users of hearing aids. Costco was rated #1 for retailers, Connect Hearing #2, and HearUSA #3. So really not too bad. Of the 8 retailers listed Beltone and Miracle-Ear were rated last.

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I believe HearingUSA and HearUSA are the same thing and there was a name change. My insurance company sent me to “HearingUSA.” When I got there it was “HearUSA.” At the time I remember wondering why the difference.

5

the one where I live is really awesome! (hopefully I’ll see Cross soon and make him put me in the S if all else fails LOL!!!)