ComplaintsforLivingston Hearing Aid Center, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  03/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I went to the Livingston Hearing Aid Center at 985 W. Centerville Rd., Garland, Tx for a hearing test. I explained to the employee that examined me that I had a Service incurred hearing loss & all charges for any services would be paid by the U.S. Dept. of Labor & provided him with a letter from the DOL explaining the procedure for filing for payment and that all related charges would be paid by the DOL. I was examined by a Livingston employee & he stated that I had pronounced hearing loss in both ears. This examination was performed early in February 2022. I was informed that I would be notified when my hearing aids were available. Later in February I was notified by phone that the Dept. Of Labor had denied my claim! No reason was given to me, only that my claim had been denied! I could not understand why the DOL would deny my claim for a service incurred hearing loss. I retired from the Postal Svc. in 1990 and since retirement I had been furnished with hearing aids on two separate occasions, all charges paid by the DOL. I later received a call from the Livingston Center that my claim HAD BEEN approved and scheduled me for March 16 to receive my hearing aids. Later I received a call that they had an opening on March 8, which I accepted. The same individual at the Centerville Rd. that had tested me was to fit me with the new hearing aids. This was when the fiasco began. I asked this individual to please expedite his fitting as my wife was waiting in our car & was not well. He constantly had to refer to his computer, then he would leave the room, saying I will be right back! I could overhear his conversation with a female employee, then a telephone conversation. When he finally returned his computer had "gone down" & he had to call someone for advice, getting on the floor under his desk & moving connections! After being in his office for an hour and a half, I went to our car and explained the delay & decided that we were leaving, He did not care about his delay!

  Business response

  04/20/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/03/18) */ March 16, 2022 Better Business Bureau North Central Texas RE: Complaint ID XXXXXXXX My name is Dr. Hunter Gerhart, and I am the Assistant Director of Audiology for Livingston Hearing Aid Center (LHAC). I am in receipt of your correspondence dated March 11, 2022. Upon receipt of your correspondence, I requested the complainant's medical chart and communicated with his local office in Garland, Texas where he was seen for a hearing aid consultation and delivery. It is my understanding after reviewing the chart and speaking with the local office that the patient's frustrations are related to the timeliness of his hearing aid fitting. Since the patient has hearing healthcare coverage through the Department of Labor (DOL) due to a work-related injury, DOL requires that a prior authorization must be obtained before services can be rendered. Our office submitted the prior authorization request to DOL on his behalf, which was later denied by DOL. Unfortunately, DOL does not provide details regarding denials to the provider, however, we contacted DOL to advise them of their error and the original denial was then overturned. I am also aware of the patient's frustrations regarding the sense of urgency exhibited at his hearing aid delivery appointment on March 8th. Patient states that he asked the provider at his appointment to expedite his fitting as his wife was waiting in the car and was not well. Unfortunately, at the time of his appointment, our offices were experiencing a company wide network outage. Our company wide network outage created delays and challenges that affected all our locations and we worked diligently to restore network function. However, we fell short, and our network outage caused the patient to have to wait longer than anticipated at the time of his appointment. We strive to provide all our patients with an outstanding experience, and I sincerely apologize that we were not able to do so on March 8th. Moreover, I am thankful for the feedback as it allows us the opportunity to get better and ultimately provide better experiences for our patients. Since receiving the initial correspondence from BBB, the patient has since returned to our office on March 15, 2022, for his hearing aid fitting/delivery. At his appointment, he apologized for becoming so angry and was ultimately satisfied with his new hearing aids. He is scheduled for subsequent follow-up visits, where any sound quality issues can be adjusted and fixed immediately. It is also our standard practice to provide additional testing at follow-up visits to ensure that all patients are hearing the best possible with their hearing aids. We look forward to the opportunity to provide him with our signature after-care services to ensure he is always hearing the best possible with his hearing aids. Thank you for your time and attention in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Regards, Hunter Gerhart, Au.D., CCC-A, ABA, FAAA, BC-HIS Assistant Director of Audiology Board Certified Doctor of Audiology Board Certified in Hearing Instrument Sciences Livingston Hearing Aid Center, Inc. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/03/21) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Mr. Hunter misstates the requirements by the Dept. Of Labor. I furnished the Livingston Center with a copy of the letter that authorized any accredited Hearing Aid Center to test,and fit my Hearing Aids. The letter from the DOL outlined the proper procedure that Livingston must abide by in order for reimbursement. Obviously, Livingston failed to follow the requirements. This caused an unnecessary delay in my obtaining hearing aids. When I was informed by a Livingston employee that the DOL had refused payment, I was not given any reason for this denial. This WAS NOT my mistake!

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