Some insurance companies require that you go through their specifically exclusive managed care provider to buy hearing aids, because they get steep discount pricing from contracts with these managed care providers. But not all insurance companies do this.
My situation is the later, my insurance company, at least with my specific policy, doesn’t stipulate that I must go through a managed care provider, although they do work with managed care providers (Amplifon in one this case). The first local HCP I found is not really in-network as they claim to be, but they work Amplifon, and thus can can claim that they’re in-network, but only through Amplifon. But the second local HCP I found is actually in-network themselves without having to go through a managed care provider like Amplifon, and thus they have access to the Oticon Intent. So I have an appointment with the second local HCP in a week and a half. Hopefully everything will work out and I can get the Intent through them.
By the way, I got confirmation when the first provider talked with Amplifon, and they told me that Amplifon did confirm with them that Amplifon themselves cannot get the Oticon Intent, as explained in Dr. Cliff’s video.
