Have not seen any recent mention of Kaiser P. as a audiologist/provider. Does anyone have direct experience with Kaiser for HAs? As FYI, Kaiser carries the Oticon Intent1, Phonak Infinnio 90, Widex Moment 440, and Resound Vivia 9.
Just found out that my insurance covers $600/ear of a Kaiser HA. While a discount, Kaiser’s premium offerings are $2700/ear, so still a LOT more than Costco.
At the moment this is strictly curiosity on my part, but would be willing to try them out if they are a next level above what Costco is providing (which I have been happy with).
I’ve had both the Kaiser NorCal and Costco experience.
KAISER NOR-CAL:
Kaiser (KP) Audiology felt just like a visit to your KP : rushed, time-constrained, and offering the bare minimum service.
DAY 1: - same as everywhere else.
DAY 1: Audiologist - I was shown 2 models Oticon and Phonak (same tech level). I had less than 5 min to choose a model. It was literally: Try this one, take it off, try the next one. Make a choice. I made my choice based on the only difference that was clear to me at the moment: Bluetooth.
DAY 45: Pick aids. Try them on, test, adjustment, walkthrough of features, maintenance, contract review, return policy discussion, questions. Total time: 15-20 min.
Post visit questions are to be done via email (like everything else in KP). I faced numerous issues with the process, and it took seven emails before they finally allowed me to see the audiologist. When I visited the audiologist, she just erased her previous work, performed an in-situ test, activated SoundRecover2, and sent me on my way. When I complained “This sounds awful”, her response was “you will get used to it”. When I complained about the domes because they were hurting, her answer was “You will get used to it”.
I could get the lowest tech at no cost or the highest tech at the same price OP mentioned.
Getting supplies is super easy: Just ask for them at the front desk.
They did not try to sell me the highest tech. On the contrary, she said the lowest tech was good enough for me.
Return period: 30 days (or 45 , I don’t remember). Note that getting an appointment with an in KP can take weeks.
The silver lining of my KP experience was that, being so dissatisfied with the service, I discovered this forum, learned how to do , and got to collaborate with the amazing people here. If my experience had been good, I probably would have never needed to look for this forum.
COSTCO
I had to go in person to get the appointment, they don’t answer the phone. I did not try leaving a message.
I had to wait 2 months to get the first appointment.
Costco accepted my KP audiogram, and the technician spent over an hour with me. He demonstrated the instruments, showed me the apps, and let me walk around Costco to test them out. He took the time to adjust the domes and make sure the fit was comfortable.
Next appointment was 5 weeks later .The spent about 45 minutes with me, conducted REM, answered my questions, demonstrated how to replace the , connected the aids to my iPhone, tested the Bluetooth functions, and once again let me walk around the store to try them out.
Return period: 180 days.
I kept my Phonaks from KP because I learned how to do DIY and I have programmed them well for me. Plus I did not have a copay for the devices.
I returned the Rexton Reach due to multiple reasons. The return process was very easy, very pleasant and with no issues or pushback.
Those were my experiences. You can imagine which one I prefer
I’ve had my hearing tests done there multiple times, but up to last year it was always cheaper to just buy the hearing aids at Costco. It takes a few months to get a hearing test appointment, but I like their hearing test setup better then Costco”s. Costco takes the Kaiser hearing test results if done within 6 months.
Currently through this year, my medicare advantage plan (Seattle plan area) includes a $4,000 dollar benefit for hearing aids every two years if one purchases the additional coverage. OK, it looks like if one pays an additional $22 per month, the $4,000 allowance every two years is still there for 2026 plans.
I was hoping Oticon with come out with , but so far nothing yet. So I haven’t tried to get new hearing aids.
I’ll just add a few words on this topic, having worked with both Kaiser (Santa Rosa, CA) and Costco (Santa Rosa, CA). I had a comprehensive hearing test done at Kaiser and got their recommendations for hearing aids. They were fine to deal with, but after going through the same process at Costco, decided with no hesitation to go with Costco. Very professional, competent, and thorough (not rushed) service at Costco, and it was clear that, even with the benefit available through my Kaiser plan, the Costco solution would cost much less.
I chose the Philips HearLink 9050 aids. After six weeks of wearing them daily, I know I made the right choice. I’m a very happy camper. The HearLink 2 cell phone app is great and very easy to use to move among the three programs my hearing aid fitter set up. Open domes work perfectly (and comfortably) for me. I am totally unaware I am wearing aids, in terms of any physical discomfort. And streaming music from my cell phone directly into my aids is a special bonus, along with super clear phone calls.
You’re probably aware that the Costco Philips 9050 is virtually a rebranding of the highest level Oticon aids that cost much, much more. All in all, a no-brainer decision for me. Best of luck to you!
I have the opposite experience with KP SoCal as well as KP Denver. There are four keys to be aware of. First, sign up for both Advantage Plus 1 and Advantage Plus 2. That will increase your benefit to approximately $1.6k per ear. Second, make sure you choose a competent audiologist that uses fitting and spends adequate time with you explaining everything you need/want to know. Third, you should be able to try the aids for 30 to 45 days before you purchase, including an additional time if you decide to trial another brand. Lastly, don’t allow yourself to be intimated by one Audiologist. Instead, choose another Audiologist to your liking….after all it is your money you are spending. Just saying!
PS. After your trial period and purchase of aids, discontinue both Advantage Plus options. You will still receive all benefits free of charge for the 3-yr warranty period.
I have Kaiser and still went with Costco. Kaiser hearing test was not as through. The WR scores was based on like, 10 words if that where Costco WR test was more like 20-25 words. Kaiser also didnt sound mask while testing and the WR scores was done at a very high decibel compared to other tests I have had, at Costco and elsewhere. Then the Kaiser discount still made the aids almost twice as much as at Costco. Also, I csn get an appointment at my Costco in a few days, we’re at Kaiser, appointments waits were weeks to months. Kaiser did offer an because of my unequal loss after the test so that was nice to know I dont have any major issues in there.
Almost a decade ago I made the (easy) choice to go with Costco, instead of Kaiser. At that time, the Kaiser service seemed very slow and plodding (they’ve probably improved it now), and I felt I got much better product and service at Costco, which I still like very much. I’m still wearing Costco’s Jabra 20s which work great for my life/needs. Your pocketbook will be glad of the choice and so will you! (northern Calif.)
My experience is completely different. I prefer the hearing testing at Kaiser over Costco. They do a very good job here in my south of Seattle clinic.
My Medicare Advantage plan pays out $4,000 for a pair of hearing aids every two years. So the cost out-of-pocket can be zero if you pay the extra monthly fee for hearing aid, chiropractic, acupuncture and transportation coverage.
I’m in the midst of a Kaiser/Costco intrigue. Before going to Costco I called Kaiser three times to check on their coverage of hearing aids for my medicare advantage plan through the federal health plans for government employees and retirees. There are a number of similar plans, even a couple with the same number (medical advantage 546 -1 and 546-2 so I was not sure which one actually applied for my hearing aids. In three calls to their website, talking with a Kaiser rep, I was told that there was no coverage, there was coverage for $250/ear every 2 years and $4000/ear. I tried to access the actual plan on line but it is always “unavailable”. So I went to Costco got my Philips (seem OK for my high frequency loss) for $1599. I submitted receipts and was turned down not because I had no coverage but because I didn’t go to an “approved” Kaiser hearing center. (None within 80 miles of my home). I’ve appealed and am waiting to hear what if anything is covered.
I can afford the hearing aids but find that Kaiser has so many plans that even their own employees get confused when trying to explain benefits.
I have done both. I got top-of-line Widex ha’s at Kaiser. I was happy with my audiologist and the process but I was very curious if ha’s from Costco for thousands less would be just as good or at least ok. I returned the Widex’s and got Jabras from Costco. I was happy enough with the Jabras so kept them. One difference is Costco does not do Real Ear Measurement; also you cannot email with questions-you have to go there. Then I heard about the new Phonak Infinio Spheres and went back to my Kaiser. I got the Spheres and I love them.
One difference is Costco does not do Real Ear Measurement
Our Costco definitely does during fitting (my wife and I both had REM as part of the fitting process).
The Costco fitter was also happy to spend time with both of us to understand our goals and adjust as needed and encouraged us to come back as needed.
The Costco hearing tests are also pretty comprehensive with bone conduction results and (uncomfortable loudness) on the , plus immittance, (pure tone testing), (speech reception threshold), (word recognition score) results.
We went with traditional Medicare so we could see all the same Drs and specialists as before so unfortunately no hearing coverage, but Costco is a great option with top of the line hearing aids.
We used Costco even when we had hearing aid coverage through my work plan with $1000 per ear coverage. It was still cheaper than getting similar hearing aids from a covered provider and the support also seemed better than the audiologists we tried.
I’ve had 5 different pairs of hearing aids from Costco (didn’t buy 2) and always had done. If you didn’t have REM, someone is fudging on what I understand is a Costco requirement of their providers, at least in the U.S.
I suspect it was being fudged by some as Costco changed something and now gives me a printout showing a form of variance of the fit. Costco needs a process to manage quality of care issues for hearing and optical including easier ways for customers to communicate above the store level.
KP Audiology and experience - response to a Forum question 1/14/2026
I’ve been a KP patient in the Washington DC area for 4 decades or more. Audiology services used to be spectacular. Used to be JUST testing and hearing evaluation - NO HA sales. I would take my KP over to Costco, and did OK. Then, in 2025, KP Mid-Atlantic (at least) started “selling” HAs. I assume that part of the cost is paid by Medicare. At least the two KP centers reasonably near me that have Audiology departments, did not and may still not have adequate professional staff for what i imagine was a large influx of patients wanting HAs. Availability of appointments is extremely limited. Appointments are time constrained. BUT, that is not my biggest complaint. Apparently, KP has a corporate (nationwide) POLICY of a 45 day trial period with NO HA returns after that time period has expired. N.B. I have been VERBALLY told that it can be as long as 120 days depending on the HA manufacturer and, in writing, that the 45 days “can be extended if a patient needs more time.”
ANYONE who has gotten HAs, ANYWHERE, knows that the initial setup in accordance with device hearing testing is usually not suitable for the patient’s needs. They know that one or more adjustment follow-up appointments are required with HA professionals who know both the HA model AND the proprietary HA manufacturer software.
I also had a problem with a KP Audiologist who may have been a new graduate. She sat me in front of some medical device; placed some sort of probes in my ears and, magically, the device decided on my hearing parameters. She then set my new HAs in accordance with the graph BUT MUCH HIGHER than the graph recommended. She ignored MY comments based on at least a dozen years HA experience to that point. When I told her that the volume (gain may be a more correct term) was way too high, she responded with “you’ll get used to it.” Later, she denied having said that, in effect calling me a liar!
Those were Phonak Infinio Sphere i70 HAs. Either they could not be properly adjusted to work with the Phonak TV Connector OR the KP personnel did not know how. When synced to the TV Connector, ALL sounds were deadened and frequency response severely limited. BOTH from the TV and ambient sound around me. I wanted to return them, but I had exceeded the 45 day limit by a week or so (remember; highly limited appointment availability). I made a loud fuss both with the Patient Advisory Council folks and Member Services. That’s when I was told the 45 days period CAN be extended and I was GRUDGINGLY allowed to return the Phonak Infinio Sphere i70s.
45 days is GROSSLY inadequate, and as a member of a KP Patient Advisory Council, I have voiced this opinion loudly and often. I am waiting to see if my one voice has any impact. I have also relayed, without name, similar observations by OcramSagev. His, with a California KP.
My experience with Costco differed between 2 stores. Costco Audiology may or may not have Audiologists on staff. In Maryland, at least, they have licensed “Hearing Aid Dispensers. As with every other function in life, abilities/knowledge and experience varies with individuals. When I first bought my now aging Phonak Brio 3 HAs, I returned to the Costco something like 9 times without proper adjustment. At the final appointment, the HA Dispenser (now possibly the manager of Audiology in that store) told me to come back again and she would “start over” from scratch. I then went to a different Costco store where I found an HA Dispenser named Dan Manco who KNEW the HAs, knew the software and knew what he was doing. In ONE 15 minute session, looking at my audiogram and listening to MY comments about MY needs, he completely adjusted the Phonak Brio 3 never to need further “tuning.”
Regardless of where you get HAs, find a hearing professional who is competent, knows both the HA models AND the proprietary software AND who listens to YOU, the patient.
Costco is a outlier with their 180 days refund policy. Forty five days is in the normal range for refunding a hearing aid. I agree that 45 days is too short.
The probes that where put into your ears, seems like the ones necessary to do . If so, then that’s considered best practice.
As far as the ability of the Dr. of Audiology, folks here have been saying time and time again, it’s the person adjusting the hearing aid that makes all the difference.
Unfortunately, I suspect Kaiser has to hire a Dr. of Audiology to get the insurance coverage to pay for the service. The cost probably has a lot to do with the amount time it takes to get an appointment. However, I thought there more fitting adjustment appointments available, then hearing testing appointments. Also, I wonder if you complained loud enough, they could have referred you to a private audiologist and paid for it.
I do realize that the Costco 180 trial period is lengthy. Of course, Costco would have enormous buying power giving the ability to dictate return periods as well as negotiating prices. I have no other experience and must accept your word that 45 days is “in the normal range.” In my experience, now with 5 different pairs of over around 2 decades, several adjustment appointments are necessary. 45 days is inadequate to accommodate more than 1 adjustment allowing reasonable time to try each modification.
It is my belief that Kaiser IS the insurer. Btw, i am a huge fan of Kaiser and the HMO concept. Long story - short version, I studied them in grad school. That does not mean they cannot improve.
I also have Kaiser through the Arc of Montgomery county in Maryland. My audiologist warned me that if i switched to them I would be disappointed, and this forum confirms that. The only annoyance is that Kaiser does not offer a hearing aid deposit like the insurance at my previous job which was Care First Blue Cross.
San Francisco
Highly appreciated!