HearingLife - Richmond Forest Hill

Official Response from HearingLife - Richmond Forest Hill:

“Dear Jessica, I can understand the frustration and anger of this parent. After forty three years as an audiologist with experience in a physician's private practice, twenty years at a University Medical School and eighteen years in my own practice, I have been frustrated and angered that parents of young children cannot find insurance or government assistance in paying for hearing aids. I hope that everyone reading this will contact their state and federal representative and support legislation that is now in congress to provide support families of children with hearing loss. The frustration that you thought was about the way you purchased the hearing aid for you daughter was really my frustration that I could not duplicate the performance of the hearing aid that I had fitted to her with the aid you got online. I was relieved that I was able to diagnose the problem on the second visit and achieve a good result. My records indicate that you and your daughter were in our office on two occasions for a period of time that was over one hour. We had to replace a part of the hearing aid that was not appropriate and have guaranteed the part and the service for the next twelve months. I am sorry about the typographical error on our website that led you to believe we were able to program any hearing aid for free. I am sure that you would agree that we could not stay in business if our patients bought aids online and then came to us for free programming. Our charge represents the cost of having the equipment, knowledge and full time staff to make sure that your daughter receives the best care possible and will have access to support going forward. Children with hearing loss should have access to safe and effective hearing aids selected, fitted and supported by people trained at the graduate level and licensed as audiologists with offices accessible when problems occur. Only proper legislation requiring insurance companies to provide this care will solve this problem. In the meantime, we are forced to charge for our services in order to maintain the level of care that has served our community for eighteen years. Dr. Frank Butts, retired, Hearing Clinics of Virginia”