On April 14, 2026, my son (14 years) had an appointment with Dr. Luke Pickar for a routine hearing exam. With my insurance, Regence, this should have been a covered in full as one routine hearing exam is covered per year. We went to the exam and the doctor asked why we were there and I stated to get a routine hearing exam to get a baseline for my kid because he wears headphones quite a bit. The exam was completed in less than 15-20 minutes and the doctor stated everything looked fine and there were not any issues. The problem arose when I received the bill. The routing hearing exam was not covered in full. None of my charges were covered in full as it actually was not charged as a routine hearing exam. I had four charges totaling $211.72. This is my cost after insurance pays their portion. The first charge was for an office visit for $200 (allowed amount $150.68). The code was 99203 which is new patient office visit 30-44 minutes. I disagree that there should be an office visit charge for a routine hearing exam but in this situation the code should be 99202 which is a new patient office visit from 15-29 minutes. After speaking to Regence, the billing would be ($98.01 allowable) for a visit lasting between 15-29 minutes. My appointment was at 7:30 am (the time they open so I could not have arrived and started appointment early) and after checking my Blink camera to verify what time my son and I arrived home, I verified that we arrived home at 8:04 am. We live 4.7 miles away and it takes 10 minutes without any traffic. At that time of morning there is traffic. The next two codes are 92557 (comprehensive audiometry threshold evaluation combined with speech recognition testing) charged at $120 (allowable $38.29) and 92567 (tympanometry, a diagnostic test that evaluates middle ear function by measuring eardrum movement in response to varying air pressure) charged at $60.00 (allowable $16.91). The final code is 92628 (covers the evaluation of a patient's candidacy for hearing aids, including assessment, counseling, and review of test results). This was charged at $500.00 (allowable $250.00). The review of the test results, which should probably be pretty standard, consisted of the doctor saying that everything was normal. When I first saw the bill, I assumed that there must be an issue that could be easily resolved so I called the billing department at Complete Hearing and Balance and spoke with Winter. She went over the charges and explained that the office visit charge is standard and that is how the doctors get paid for their time. I questioned the fact that a routing hearing exam was covered by my insurance and an office visit charge should have been disclosed but she reiterated that it was standard practice. She stated that you could get a hearing exam at Costco for free. I thought to myself that I didn't see that Costco took my insurance. The charge for code 92628 she said would be taken off and must have been added by mistake because many customers need hearing aids. I ended the call feeling that I need to ask medical providers billing codes and bill estimates prior to any appointment because my assumption that the covered services would be covered was incorrect. This morning, after sleeping on this a couple more days, I decided to call Regence to ask them if there are any providers that do routine hearing exams that are fully covered without an office visit charge. I had checked the list of providers on the regence website, and I only noticed similar audiology providers similar to Complete Hearing and Balance. The agent was not able to tell me if there were any providers that do not charge for an office visit in addition to a hearing exam. During this conversation, I got the billing codes and thought I might have a billing code for a routine hearing exam. I was encouraged by the agent to call Complete Hearing and Balance and ask for explanation or an audit of my bill. I spoke again with Winter. I gave her a code Z01.10 thinking that applied as a routine hearing exam. She said that it did not and explained that they do not do routine hearing exams and that they only do comprehensive hearing exams. I questioned why when they are an approved provider for my insurance that covers a routine hearing exam yearly and I believe what she stated was that insurance doesn't dictate the exam that they provide. She also told me that she contacted the provider and they will not be removing the $500.00 charge as this exam required the doctor's expertise as I stated I wanted to get a baseline because my son wears headphones quite often. To be clear, my son has never had any medical issues of any kind, did not complain of headaches, ear pain or anything. The test proved to be normal without any issues. We never spoke of ear care, the prospect of hearing aids or any pending issues. Be careful with this place. Make sure you get your billing squared away prior to your appointment. I wouldn't trust them again. read more

I purchased hearing aids and had a good experience up until now. I recently paid $200 for molded ear pieces and they performed horribly, cutting in and out at random times and causing ear discomfort. When I first had them fitted and adjusted the audiologist told me to come in if I had any problems with them. After experiencing these problems I made an appointment and when I arrived I was told I would have to pay $75 to see the audiologist. This is unacceptable- if the device is not working the company should stand by their product and do all they can to correct the issue. I will not be doing business with this company any longer and will not recommend them to anyone. read more

My first appointment was cancelled by this clinic the day of the appointment due to a sick provider--understandable. After I made another appointment, I called back to reschedule, but was still charged a no show fee because they did not cancel the first appointment. When I finally got in, the waiting room time was over an hour. read more

I had previous experience with DR. Vega, her Practice was recommended by the NRA and she was very Professional and earned my trust and respect. I was referred to Ascent by a Dr. at the Capital Hospital in Olympia; I was welcomed by Natascha with a warm friendly smile, I was very pleased the way they handled all the paper work and scheduling future visits, all the Ascent Team is nice and friendly and eager to help the patients. The parking area is ample and convenient specially for Disabled persons like me. At Ascent Audiology & Hearing, Natascha & the rest of the Team are Awesome, their Dedication, Hard work is well Acknowledged and..., IT SHOWS...! With much appreciation from a very Satisfied Patient, David D. read more

Charging fees are way outrageous. I will not go there no more! Just for hearing test and charged me 1,160 and yes that is true.

I was referred to Complete Hearing and Balance for videonystagmography (VNG) testing due to a suspected Ménière's disease and vestibular migraines. The scheduling process was a bit complicated. I have a strict schedule and can only schedule appointments on Wednesdays. I understand that may mean I wait longer for an appointment, this was not a concern. I was told at the moment when I called in 11/2023 they were not scheduling on Wednesdays however they would starting 01/2024. I was advised to schedule an appointment on another day of the week to be on the schedule and then I would receive a call in a few weeks when they could actually schedule me on a Wednesday. It was only 2 days before my scheduled appointment, I contacted Complete Hearing and Balance to reschedule to a Wednesday since I had never received a call. I had to wait another month- no biggie! I am contacted 2.5 weeks before my appointment to schedule a phone call appointment to go over my medical history and give them some more background information. Fast forward to the day of my phone call, I am told on the phone my appointment may need to be rescheduled and/or moved to their Lacey location (I was scheduled at Olympia). Was never given a reason why there was possibly a scheduling issues, but I never received a call back so I kept my appointment. Come day of appointment, huge shout out to the office staff! I felt very welcomed and a lot less anxious. The tech who performed my testing, who's name is unfortunately slipping my mind, was great at explaining the entire process, she answered any questions I had and had incredible bed side manner. Thank you to the staff at Complete Hearing and Balance! read more

Not the best experience. The staff was excellent, except the audiologist. I was treated in a parental condescending tone with lectures about how I need to trust my audiologist. Looking elsewhere. read more

In the midst of a snow storm when many businesses were closed, part of my hearing aid malfunctioned. I called up Ascent Audiology and Dr Vega answered the phone. She walked me through how to fix it on line. You all are great! Fred Finn read more

I have had my hearing aids for over a year and am very pleased. Dr Hession is calm and informative and patient. These are my first hearing aids and there can be a big learning curve--so many ways I can make adjustments on hearing quality that I can make using my phone. Their office staff has also been welcoming and efficient despite all the complications caused by the pandemic. read more

I have nothing but good things to say about my experience at Complete Hearing and Balance, formerly Ascent. The front office staff is wonderful, I mean really wonderful, the office is comfortable, and Dr. Westreich, my audiologist, could not have been better! I have complete hearing loss in my right ear due to nerve damage, so "traditional" hearing aids won't work for me. She tailored hearing aids so that the sound is transferred to my good ear, and really listened to my issues so that the results are as perfect as they can possibly be. She also didn't push the most expensive devices, helping me to choose a less expensive option which better suits my needs. I would highly recommend her and the entire staff. read more

I learned today that Complete Hearing and Balance will no longer provide service for me and my hearing aids. They did not have the integrity or courtesy to tell me at my last visit, preferring to state only that "Kaiser will be servicing me from hereon."? Kaiser called Complete Hearing on my behalf to learn of my alleged "behavior." I recall being upset with the receptionist one time, but on two subsequent visits apologized for my behavior to her AND to the person filling in. Folks we are living in the era of snowflakes. Can't we disagree as adults, apologize for our perceived transgressions, and MOVE ON? No one is perfect and we all make mistakes. The important thing is to recognize the transgression, apologize for it, learn from it, and get on with life. I realized my error and made amends. I wonder what Complete Hearing and Balance has learned from this? There are too many competitors in the Oly/Lacey area to be treated so cavalierly. read more

Don't know anything about their services, but their parking isn't great! They have parking marked in a general parking lot that says customer parking only. My son was being seen at Urgent Clinic next door. He was a customer being seen, how was I to know that it was their parking only?!? Mark the spots with saying Ascent Customer Parking Only or put signs up stating so. But also, it was lunch time, they didn't have people in their business nor waiting in said marked parking spots except for another guy who came out of urgent care and left. Hmm? read more

Horrible service, was referred by doctor and the receptionist and office manager were extremely rude and extremely incompetent.

I had an exam with Dr. Vega yesterday and had a great experience! She has a beautiful office that is conveniently located and has lots of parking. I felt instantly comfortable when I walked in and was warmly greeted by her very personable office assistant, Michelle. Dr. Vega tested my hearing (which is perfect, yay for me!) and she took the time to teach me about how to preserve what I've got and prevent hearing loss in the future. This is very important to me as I have seen many relatives suffer from hearing loss and this is something that I don't want to deal with in my future! Dr. Vega uses the latest technology to accurately diagnose and treat hearing loss. She uses an otoscope with a camera so I could actually see the inside of my ear on a monitor as she inserted it into my ear canal, it was very cool! I highly recommend Dr. Vega! read more

My son wears hearing aids and we have been really lucky over the years to have had great audiologists who understand and accommodate the changing needs of a child with hearing loss. Ascent has been no different...they have been kind, professional, efficient, flexible, and knowledgeable. We see Dr. Yahrmatter and she is great! It is super nice that her office calls when to schedule when we are due for follow up--when you have a child with special needs it is quite a job to keep track of when to schedule follow ups with multiple specialists. The staff at this office are amazing, and have done us a great favor by taking one less thing to remember or stress about off our plate. read more

I worked with Dr. Hesson and she was absolutely amazing. This was the first audiologist appointment at an adult audiologist since I got my hearing aids at age 8. I was very nervous and she helped me and patiently answered all my questions. When I scheduled my follow up appointment after receiving my hearing aids they went above and beyond to make sure I got in at my convienence. read more

From my first visit for my initial hearing test to getting my hearing aids, Dr. Vega and her staff were professional, caring, and informative. We discussed all options and made a decision based on Dr. Vegas advice and my budget and insurance coverage. I would highly recommend Ascent Audiology and Hearing. During all my appointments and interactions I always felt cared for and involved. This includes the entire process leading up to getting, and maintaining my hearing aids. Thanks to the entire staff for making my hearing a priority and helping me realize what an impact it has on quality of life. I love being able to hear again. Thank you, Keith ferguson read more

Very long waiting. Appointments set months away. Unwilling to rechedule, which is a setback for working parents.

As a 32 year Veteran, the military 'Veterans Choice' program allowed me to go to Ascent Hearing. The doctor there told me she would not give me hearing aids. She seemed to be the judge and jury. Really unprofessional. Bad Experience. read more

Dr. Vega is gentle, professional, helpful and accomodating. I would highly recommend her. I've had the pleasure of seeing her twice and her services and staff are excellent. She has state of the art equipment and everyone there truely cares for your well being. Thank you Dr. Vega! read more

I bought my hearing aids from Dr. Vega after she tested my hearing. Not only did she take time to explain how to take care of the new hearing aids but she made sure I had had enough batteries and filters until my next appointment three months later. I go in quarterly to have my hearing aids cleaned and tested. I have my hearing tested once a year. She is the very best hearing specialist I have encountered and I would recommend her to anyone and everyone who needs help with their hearing problems. Gary W. read more

Dr. Vega is wonderful!! After seeing her, my hearing is better than it has been in years. I'm not sure it was ever this good. She and her staff are so professional and the office is beautiful. My left ear had a lot of wax buildup that Dr. Vega was able to clean out. She tested my hearing and reprogrammed both my hearing aids. I recommend her highly. FIVE STARS. read more

I heard Dr. Vega speak a number of weeks ago. She shared vital information on how to go about ear preventative health, and, if you had a hearing loss, how to best go about getting your hearing tested and diagnosed. She shared some information that alarmed me about they way that my father had gone about getting his hearing tested and hearing aids purchased at Costco...which was at my encouragement. So I took my dad to visit Dr. Vega where he had a complete hearing diagnostic test by a fully certified Dr. of Audiology. Luckily he was in appropriate hearing aids. However, Dr. Vega discovered a piece of one hearing aid that was broken and also suggested a change to have them fit better. As a result, my father is much more comfortable in his hearing aids and wears them more consistently...which makes us all much happier! Dr. Vega's office is pleasant and comfortable. Her staff are friendly. She is a marvel and treated my dad respectfully, making sure he got all his questions answered and understood. I would highly recommend her. My dad will go back annually to have his hearing assessed....and, myself as well! read more