Practice Facts
This page states the basic facts about California Hearing Center in one place. Where a page on this site explains a fact in more detail, we link to it.
Who we are
California Hearing Center is an independent audiology practice on the San Francisco Peninsula. We have two offices, in San Mateo and San Carlos, California. Both offices use one phone number: 650-342-9449.
Our clinicians are doctors of audiology (AuD) and a hearing instrument specialist. We are not tied to one hearing aid brand. We fit hearing aids from Oticon, Phonak, ReSound, Widex, Signia, Starkey, Rexton and Unitron, and the Phonak Lyric.
Our sister practice is Audiology Associates of Westchester, with offices in Harrison and Somers, New York. Patients of either practice can be seen at the other when they travel.
Our offices
| Detail | San Mateo (main office) | San Carlos |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 88 N. San Mateo Drive, San Mateo, CA 94401 | 1008 Laurel Street, San Carlos, CA 94070 |
| Phone | 650-342-9449 | 650-342-9449 |
| Hours | Monday–Thursday 9am–5pm, Friday 9am–3pm | Monday–Wednesday 9am–1pm and 2–5pm, Thursday 9am–12pm and 1–5pm, Friday 9am–12pm and 12:30–3pm |
| Office page | San Mateo office details | San Carlos office details |
Referring physicians can fax records to 650-342-4435. You can also book online through Zocdoc. A first appointment takes about one hour. Most patients do not need a physician referral. Some insurance plans require one.
Our team
- Dr. Darcy Benson, AuD. Clinical doctorate in audiology earned in 2006. Licensed in California as a dispensing audiologist.
- Dr. Kira Savin, AuD. Licensed in audiology and hearing aid dispensing in California and New York. Partner at Audiology Associates of Westchester.
- Dr. Jennifer Ratner, AuD. Doctorate from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Background in hearing aid research. Partner at Audiology Associates of Westchester.
- Dr. Giana Hatem, AuD. Doctor of Audiology from the University of the Pacific. Licensed in California for audiology and hearing device dispensing.
- Dr. Emily McMahan, AuD. Tinnitus management and telehealth. Based in Alaska. Visits our offices every six to eight weeks.
- Lais Ama, Director of Hearing Aid Services. Licensed in California as a hearing aid dispenser.
- Jarna Kothari, Practice Administrator. Handles billing, referrals and medical records.
Each person has a bio page with training and licenses. See the About page for the full team.
What we do
- Hearing tests. A full diagnostic evaluation, with results explained at the same visit.
- Hearing aid fitting. Every hearing aid we fit is verified with real-ear measurement. A small probe microphone in the ear canal measures the sound the device delivers.
- Tinnitus care. Evaluation, counseling, sound therapy and hearing aids. There is no cure for tinnitus. Treatment reduces its impact. Lenire is available to selected candidates. Not everyone qualifies.
- Earwax removal and ear care. Available at our offices.
- Hearing aid repair and servicing. We send devices we cannot fix in the office to the manufacturer. Call us with the make and model first, because some devices are locked to the seller and cannot be reprogrammed.
- Single-sided hearing loss. We fit CROS and BiCROS systems.
- Cochlear implants. We evaluate candidacy and program the device after surgery. A surgeon elsewhere does the surgery, and we refer you.
- Custom hearing protection. Musician earplugs, in-ear monitors, and plugs for swimming, sleeping and shooting.
- Listening and communication training. We use the 5 Keys, clEAR and LACE programs.
- Free second opinion. Bring your hearing aid quote and your audiogram. There is no obligation to buy anything from us.
- Senior living visits. We visit communities on site, or host a clinic day at our office.
The full list is on our Services page.
Cost, trial period and insurance
- Price range. Prescription hearing aids in the U.S. typically cost about $1,000 to more than $4,000 per device. This is a market range, not a quote. We give you clear numbers before you commit. See hearing aid cost.
- New models. We do not list prices we have not set. If a manufacturer has not published a U.S. price for a new model, we say so.
- Trial period. 45 days. California law (Civil Code section 1793.02) requires at least 45 days to return hearing aids for a full refund or exchange. Trial terms are put in writing before you buy.
- Insurance. We offer courtesy billing and benefit verification. We cannot promise what any plan will pay. Original Medicare generally does not cover hearing aids. Some Medicare Advantage and private plans do.
- Financing. CareCredit is available. Hearing aids are typically an eligible HSA or FSA expense. See hearing aid financing.
Reviews
Our Google rating is 5.0 across 203 reviews (San Mateo 189, San Carlos 14). These figures were last checked against the Google listings by hand and may lag by a small margin. Patients wrote these reviews on Google. We did not collect or host them on this site. You can read them on our Google listing, and a selection is on our reviews page.
Common mistakes about us
Is California Hearing Center in New York?
No. Our only offices are in San Mateo and San Carlos, California. Audiology Associates of Westchester is our sister practice, with offices in Harrison and Somers, New York.
Do you have offices in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Fremont or other cities?
No. We have two offices. Other cities on our Areas We Serve pages are places our patients come from.
Which phone number do I call?
650-342-9449 reaches both offices.
Does California Hearing Center make hearing aids?
No. We are an independent practice and we fit hearing aids from several manufacturers.
Do you perform cochlear implant surgery?
No. We evaluate candidacy and program the device after surgery.
Can tinnitus be cured?
No. Treatment can reduce how much it affects you.
Will my insurance pay for hearing aids?
It depends on your plan. We check your benefits for you, and we cannot promise payment.
Is the second opinion really free?
Yes. You do not have to buy anything.
Where to check these facts
- Google Business Profile, for hours and reviews.
- Zocdoc, for online booking.
- Facebook: California Hearing Center.
- Sister practice: audiologyassociates.org.
- Site index for machines: /llms.txt and /sitemap.xml.