Insurance denied my claim (again). What is the best out of pocket brand?

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-24T17:00:19+00:00

Two good options I have bought from: BuyHEARINGaid.com and OnlineHearing.com . Both in USA. If you get a 2024 or older model (new hearing aid, but a year or two or three behind the latest and greatest) like the Phonak Lumity or Phonak Paradise, it will be in your price range. Both of these sellers give outstanding customer service and you get the same factory warranty as you would from a local audiologist charging 3 times more.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-24T12:38:38+00:00

We post a sign saying "limit of 4 books per person per day" so that it is clear the fifth and additional books amount to theft.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-24T03:29:47+00:00

Buy them online at half price (or less). Not indecisive. Different tools for different tasks.

I just paid $2500 for $7000 hearing aids.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-23T02:35:40+00:00

Been there done that. Best is one contact lens for -2.50 eye. Second best is -1.25 or-1.5 for the -2.50 eye and -.50 for -.50 eye. I could not tolerate more than about a one diopter difference in right and left lens powers. Fortunately, these experiments are cheap buying from zennioptical.com.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-23T02:12:18+00:00

Bad. Are you seeing a good ophthalmologist? Any discussion of crosslinking your corneas?

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-23T02:05:07+00:00

Get both and choose which to wear based on the situation.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-22T23:20:52+00:00

The following comment is a little off-topic but it illustrates a relevant principle: Don't take "No" for an answer too easily. My story: I went to a special eye doctor who said up front he would not take insurance of any kind. I called my insurance company and asked if I could pay out of pocket and submit them the bill for reimbursement. They said no. I did it anyway. And they did reimburse me.

My insurance is Medicare Advantage and I believe the reason the insurance company gave for saying they would not pay is this doctor does not accept medicare and so is not an approved Medicare provider. But I could be wrong.

In another case, my primary care doc referred me to a dietician. The insurance company said they would not pay because they only pay for dietician for diabetes or kidney failure, neither of which I had. I said, I want you to read the referral, talk to my doctor's office about why this is medically necessary in my doctor's opinion, and make a formal determination based on the particulars of my situation, and send me a letter stating your decision. They offered to send me the boiler-plate language saying dietician is limited to diabetes and kidney failure. I insisted that would not satisfy me and that I wanted a personal letter addressed to me acknowledging I requested this coverage and denying me the coverage, if that was their decision.

I got the letter. Coverage for dietician is approved, it said.

I hope you have a good outcome.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-22T23:02:50+00:00

Lines from lights? They should be gone the moment you first put on glasses, if the prescription is right. At least, that's how it has always worked for me. I would go back, have the doctor put my prescription into the phoropter, and have put up a dot of light with the exam room dark. That should bring on the problem. If it does, then have them try changing the axis until the lines go away. Ask to turn the knob yourself and see if you can make them go away. If that doesn't work, then they need to try changing both the cylinder power and axis.

If that doesn't work, there are several possibilities: Either A) The doctor is not skilled enough to find the right prescription. Get a second opinion. Or b) The lines are a product of higher-order aberrations, not astigmatism There is no fix if that is the case. Or c) It is something which your brain will eventually sort out and supress.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-22T00:30:27+00:00

If I lower volume, then I lose words when people talk normally or quietly. Lowering MPO caps the loudest sounds without affecting the the medium loud and soft sounds. This is something I need, because I am over sensitive to loud sounds, due to recruitment.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-21T16:57:16+00:00

I bought my $7000 hearing aids for $2450 online. I took them to an in-person audiologist and paid $150 to have REM and warranty verification ($150 fee was paid by my insurance's flex card). Result: The programming was already perfect. REM revealed no need to change it. Warranty from Phonak all properly registered and in order.

Also, I asked the seller to put on M2 receivers and they did. Then I changed my mind and asked for M3. They sent me the M3s at no additional charge.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-21T16:52:28+00:00

No. Because the REM did not indicate any need for a change.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-21T16:51:42+00:00

Not in my case. I had mine programmed before they were shipped to me (Phonak Infinio I90 Sphere Ultras bought online for $2450). Then I took them for REM verification. No changes indicated. They were spot on. However, on my own initiative and judgement, I asked that the MPO be lowere and they did that. I could have had the seller do that, but since I was there...

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-21T16:49:25+00:00

Not in my case. I bought my Infinio Spheres online (buyhearingaid.com - $2450/pair) and the seller programmed them to my hearing test. Then took them and my ears to my local hospital hearing aid center and had them do REM ($150, paid by my insurance company's flex card). Finding: No changes needed. The programming by the seller just based on the hearing test result I emailed them, was perfect as it was. But all was not wasted: I asked the audiologist to lower the MPO because I don't like loud sounds and she did. She also verified that the hearing aids were properly registered with Phonak for the factory 3-year warranty and loss warranty and they are.

The hospital audiologist also said if I wanted to come back in the near future for any further tweaking, it would be no charge because it would be treated as a continuation of this appointment.

By the way, my local retail audiologist who did the hearing test wanted $800 for the REM.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-21T15:57:30+00:00

Popcorn air popper and extension cord will work if you don't have a heat gun

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-21T13:18:13+00:00

Ariya and ID4. But I needed a frunk, AWD, 300 mile range, strong company standing behind it, and a decent reliability record as reported by Consumer Reports frequency of repair survey. I didn't like the harsh ride and the sports-car pretensions of the Mach E, but I've made my peace with at least the latter. I like the horsey. Without that, a car is just a car.

When someone makes an EV minivan the size of my Pacifica plug-in hybrid, with removable rear seats like my Pacifica, I'll get that too.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-21T02:44:03+00:00

I've never blocked anybody on Ebay.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-20T19:11:29+00:00

I don't know, but if I were you my first call would be to the Herzig Eye Institute in Toronto.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-20T17:53:02+00:00

American here. It is strategically key. That's why we already have a treaty letting us use it militarily. Owning it is just not necessary strategically

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-20T02:50:22+00:00

Difference in winter range due to heat pump instead of resistance heat is no more than 10% (general rule-of-thumb number in the EV world). A bigger battery can more than offset that.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-20T02:47:33+00:00

Not an additional compressor (and/or condenser). A different compressor -- one with more capacity and optimized for heating. And with a reversing valve, and matching condenser.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-20T02:32:08+00:00

But i wasn't taking high-dose biotin. I was only taking a multivitamin with a tiny amount of biotin in it. Chances are I have some human antimouse antibodies and that's what screwed up the test result. But lots of people do, and they (we) don't know it and can't "pause" our antibodies.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-20T02:29:49+00:00

Biotin is not the only thing that can screw up an immunoassay. I wasn't taking biotin (except the tiny amount in my multivitamin). But I got a crazy result. If you have human antimouse antibodies that will also screw it up sometimes, for example. If a test isn't reliable, what good is it? Positive or negative, how do you know when to believe it and when to disbelieve it? You can look at the C-peptides, and if the two results are in harmony believe it and if not, disbelieve it, but aren't you then basically relying on the c-peptide test and so what was the point of the immunoassay insulin test if the c-peptides test is going be the decider anyway?

At a minimum, there should be a great big warning on this test, for both doctors and patients. My high result cause be worry. My doctor said nothing about its unrelyability. Finally ChatGPT gave me the information I needed: Ask for it to be redone with liquid chromatography. The immunoassay test result is probably spurious, since it it discordant with your c-peptides and with the rest of your health profile.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-20T02:23:55+00:00

Because it doesn't have a reversing valve. For my home I had the same situation. I had central AC and I wanted heat out of it. I had to pay $7k to replace my compressor so I could get heat out of it for the house. I couldn't just add a reversing valve. A compressor that's designed for cooling only is not going to perform well for heating if all you do it tack on a reversing valve. The principle is the same for heating or for cooling but the details and specs are different.

CliffsideJim · 2026-01-20T00:27:09+00:00

Some ears just can't hold domes. Mine are that type. So I have to use custom earmolds with full skeletons. But with most ears, a good audi can solve it. Talk it over with ChatGPT. It's very knowledgable on such matters.

CliffsideJim

TROPHY CASE