I absolutely have to agree with everyone here. Dr John is fantastic. I was really nervous when I got here. I start having buzzing sound in my ears and I was told that it could be the beginning of having an actual hearing loss. None of the tests is painful. And all of them take about 30 min all together. At the end of the session, Dr explained the results, told me what next and what my options are. I have to say about my experience with the insurance here. I only pay my copay when I arrived. Dr said that everything else is covered. Then after 3 weeks, I got a bill of $152. I emailed the lady that email was on the top of the receipt and she replied in within minutes. We went back and forward with emails for a couple of months, and at the end, I couldn't be bothered to contact her or my insurance again, so I paid the bill. No need to say I was not happy at all since that kind of experience never happened to me before. But after a week I got a letter with the check of $152 back and an apology from the doctor. read more

Dr. Folmar fitted me with the Phonak Infinio Sphere i90 and the fitting and programming was excellent. Did not need any follow up adjustment. I have to say, I love the hearing aids I received and the professional programming by Dr. Folmar. I live on the Peninsula and the office location was perfect for me. read more

Professional care delivered with compassion. Dr. Folmar patiently discussed various options to improve and preserve my hearing.

I visited three different places in search of a hearing aid for my father-in-law, who lives in a memory care facility. Dr. Folmar was the only one who was truly honest and transparent. Rather than trying to sell me an expensive hearing aid, he explained that while such devices can be beneficial, they are often difficult for care facilities to manage and frequently get lost. Instead, he recommended a much more affordable hearing assistance device to try first. It has worked wonderfully--we were able to label it, and it has made a noticeable difference. read more

I used Dr Folmar for an audiology test and then purchased hearing aids. I thought the level of service was excellent. He was very candid about how most hearing aid brands performed similarly. His recommendation for Widex was based on customer feedback and the least reports of problems. I also appreciated that he did not try to upsell me on the more expensive models, telling me there was no documentation the companies could provide proving that spending more provided a better hearing experience. He also was very thorough in explaining how the first month or so would be challenging as my brain rewired itself, adjusting to the huge increase in audio input. My ability to hear conversation, nature, TV, phone and my family are all drastically improved. read more

I called Peninsula Hearing Services because my father's hearing aids stopped working. I spoke to Dr. Folmar, who said that he would be happy to schedule an appointment to fix them, but first he suggested that I try a few things with the hearing aid app on the phone to see if I could fix it myself. I followed his advice, and the hearing aids started working again! My father is in the hospital and he was so frustrated that he couldn't hear. We are so grateful for Dr. Folmar's help. read more

I loved Peninsula Hearing Services. He is very informative and patient. You couldn't ask for a better service on the Peninsula! read more

They have efficient, effective service. Fairly priced And willing to explain issues requested to fully understand all aspects of my hearing needs. read more

I am a 67 year old senior living on a tightly fixed income. I am not getting fair treatment from Doctor Folmar or the aggressive billings practices at Peninsula Hearing Services. While in a office visit explaining to Doctor Folmar my device troubles, Doctor Folmar told me that the only thing that he could hope for me "is a break through in hearing loss device technology". On January 10, 2019 Doctor Folmar sent me an email informing me that he had not heard from me and I needed to come into the office to have "the replacement earmolds fitted" (quick break through in technology)! I called the office January 10, 2019 after reading the email. I was refused an appointment for that day but was offered a next day (January 11, 2019 1:00p.m.) appointment, I accepted and the telephone call ended. On January 11, 2019 at around 12:27 p.m. I arrived for my appointment and the receptionist informed that there was a scheduling error because the Doctor does not see patients at 1p.m. The receptionist further told me that I would need to reschedule. Obviously I was disappointed so I did not allow that scene to escalate, The receptionist left the counter and I left the building. Since January 11, 2019 the day of my 1p.m. appointment, and the day I was physically standing at the receptionist counter at 12:27 p.m... I received a $65 billing statement stating that I "missed my 1/11/19 1p.m. appointment and did not call within 24 hours to cancel the appointment"! I have notified Doctor Folmar that this billing entry must be removed from my file/record before another error is made and this office billing fumble gets reported to the credit reporting agencies, because $65 out of pocket would create quite a hardship! I WILL KEEP YELP INFORMED! read more

Do not go here! Worst experience ever! From the moment I arrived... I got a weird vibe from Dr. Folmar, who seem to be the hearing tech? Only person? I was assigned to Peninsula Hearing or Dr. Folmar by my insurance company and for sure I'll never go back. I was told by Dr. Folmar himself.. he got all the authorizations before I visited him. I got authorizations from my insurance company. I had to hand walk his authorization. I had to get authorizations from my own insurance companies Doctors to get hearing Aids. When he said all was good.. I had my hearing test. After the hearing test from Dr. Folmar: no call back and of course... NO HEARING AID provided. no courtesy call stating I'm sending you to collections... Yes... all authorized by my insurance, but it seems there's a billing issue and I'm getting billed because of his mistakes. What a crook! --------------- 2/20/2018 update... Hey Dr. Folmar... you need to speak to my claims department. They state no claims have been denied for my office visit. Only recently did Dr. Folmar submit the information requested and claims are still being processed. They were very surprised to hear you sent me to collections... BEYOND the contracted amount. They said that's sneaky and unprofessional. They were also surprised to hear I didn't receive my hearing aids... Very sad... read more

Saw Dr. Folmar, Au.D., today (6-22-17). Was escorted to my appointment on time, I filled out the paperwork since I was a new patient, and the examination went well. Before each test he explained what was being tested, what my responses​ should be, what I should feel or hear. He was very professional, knowledgeable​, and easy going as he explained the testing procedures. I highly recommend him if you find yourself waiting months to see an audiologist -which I was. (My EENT doctors office got an appointment just 2 days after my initial visit. . . I now have to cancel both my UCSF audiology and EENT appts the soonest being in August. read more

Dr John has done an excellent job in persuading my father in law to use his hearing aids. When my father in law first got his hearing aids, he did not like to use it all the time. It was not until Dr John explained to him that using hearing aids is like learning a foreign language (i.e. you have to practice everyday or else you will lose it), then we saw the dramatic difference in my father in law who now uses his hearing aids religiously. Dr John is like savior as my father in law now can participate in group discussion without keeping interrupting everyone. I would highly recommend Dr John to anybody! I can't thank him enough! read more

I wish I could give Dr. John Folmar ten stars! He is an absolutely wonderful audiologist in every possible way. At the end of the six week trial period, I wrote to Dr. Folmar: "My new hearing aids are really wonderful and I would never give them back even if you paid me double." These are my first hearing aids ever and it is like being reborn at the age of 68. Now when I hear music it is 10 times more wonderful than ever before. I also am more aware of the sounds around me and I believe that I hear better even when I am not using my new Resound Linx hearing aid. They also work well on flights but I remove them when I use my noise canceling earbuds. Battery life is about 5 days and I do use them with my iPhone. I am now trying to find discrete ways to tell friends about modern hearing aids so that they too can benefit from the wonder of bionic hearing. In getting hearing aids, there is a lot for the wearer to learn and a skilled, patient audiologist is much more important than the particular make. John Folmar is the best of the best. read more

Dr John Fulmar is exceptional! I was recommended by an online Discount Hearing Aids of America as his prices are exceptional for high end hearing aids-- I wanted Opticon. John was fabulous and he met the published prices without downgrading services. He is kind, patient and provides excellent hearing evaluations and services. I recommend him as the best I have met in the Hearing Aid industry-----Dr. John Folmar is a professional audiologist and his services are thorough, pleasant and caring. Guess I can;t say enough about him. read more

I found Dr. Folmar back in Nov of 2016 because he accepted Epic Hearing benefits. All was good in the beginning; I got the Resound Linx2 hearing aids I wanted. I had visited him a couple times in the first year and there was no charge for the service. In my second year I brought my hearing aids back because one aid was producing no sound. He said he would bill my insurance but it should cost on average of about $45 dollars. When I picked up my hearing aids, he said that both aids were not working and he replaced both hearing aid receivers. I was puzzled by that because I only had a problem with one. Later I received an invoice with two procedures being billed for a total of $64. Within six months of that last paid visit, my hearing aids stopped working again. Rather than bring it back to Dr. Folmar and being charged another $64, I bought some receivers online for less than 1/3 of the cost of that and they worked fine. I was still bothered by the fact that I should have to pay out of pocket since my hearing aids came with a 3 year warranty. So I called Epic Hearing to see what can be done. They informed me that if I requested that my hearing aids be sent back to them for warranty repair, the doctor would just have to call them to get a repair authorization and they would pay for shipping and compensate the doctor $200 just to send the hearing aids to them. There should be no charge to me. So this past week, I called Dr. Folmar back and let him know what Epic told me. His response was that his contract with Epic allows him to charge even for warranty claims and I should call Epic to try to find a new provider. Epic was willing to pay him $200 for the service of mailing hear, so I wonder how much more he gets from billing insurance. The hearing aid industry is rife with greed. These hearing aids cost thousands of dollars (for electronics which should cost only $100) and you can't get anyone to honor the warranty even if they were paid handsomely on the initial sale. If you choose to go with a doctor who forces you to sign a service agreement, be aware that even if you have hearing aids under warranty, you will pay to have them fixed. And if they are like mine, don't expect them to last more than 6 months without repair. I wish there were decent providers who won't try to nickel and dime you even after they made commission on the sale of the aids. read more

I've been a patient if Dr. Folmar for over a year. He is very knowledgeable, patient and thorough. He squeezed me in for an appointment after an acoustic trauma on short notice to do a hearing test and access potential damage. He's patient and takes time to answer all of patient's questions. He's very good at what he does and can refer you to other professions if you need. Highly recommend. read more

We were in Millbrae, leaving from SFO the next day for a vacation out of the country, when the wire on my husband's hearing aid broke. My husband looked on Yelp and found Peninsula Hearing Services, so we showed up at their door when they opened the following morning, with no appointment, but a desperate look in our eyes. They were able to fit him in, find the necessary parts, and within 15 minutes, make the needed repairs and we were on our way, relieved and happy. Normally, their services are by appointment only, but we had very limited time, and were so grateful that Dr. Folmar and his staff were able to help us out. Everyone was extremely kind and helpful. Thank you so much! read more

SHOULD NOT BE A DOCTOR! Dr. Folmar is beyond condescending and rude and definitely should not be in practice. He is a one-man medical office - no receptionist or assistants or billing personnel - it's all outsourced. I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Folmar and was 10 minutes early. He lied and said I was an hour early. I didn't say anything to him, I just said OK and followed him to his waiting area. I gave him my medical insurance information (statewide Medi-Cal) and he scolded me like a 5 year-old for not having County of San Mateo Medi-Cal. Than he walked off before I could get my insurance card back and respond. He was gone 15 minutes. Comes back and says he'll see me THIS time for the exam but if I wanted my hearing aides I had to change to County of San Mateo Medi-Cal. At this point, I just wanted the exam prescription so I didn't say anything about his unprofessional and unethical attitude. We get to his office with the hearing test booth, he asks a couple of questions, where I explain I have had hearing aides before but they were stolen. I don't believe he bothered to listen to a word I said, because and than he mansplains to me what hearing aides are and what they do. I already invested over an hour so I stay silent. Test is done and he comments rudely how bad my hearing is and how he's not surprised that I don't understand anything or what he's saying. Almost lost it, but I stayed professional even though he has no idea how to. Than he literally throws the test result prescription at me and walks out before I get a chance to say anything to him. I take my hearing test result prescription to a different hearing doctor's medical company - multiple centers with full staff in business for several years. They realize he didn't sign the prescription so the female Medical Office Administrator contacts Dr. Folmar ..... Dr. Folmar mansplans Medi-Cal and how insurance billing works.... to a professional that assists with hundreds of billings a month. Than he refuses to sign his own prescription. Dr. Folmar is a liar, condescending, rude, unprofessional and unethical! read more

I was referred to Peninsula Hearing Services by an Ear, Nose, Throat doctor last year when an ear infection led to near complete hearing loss (temporary fortunately) in one of my ears. Dr. Folmar was personable, knowledgeable and completely professional as he walked me through a series of tests. All the while, he explained what he was testing for and then thoroughly explained my results. When I recently began to experience an increased level of tinnitus this year I immediately made an appointment directly with Dr. John to get another series of evaluations and learn more about the ringing in my ears. I highly recommend Peninsula Hearing Services, and Dr. John Folmar in particular, if you are experiencing any concerns about your hearing. read more

Dr Folmar was very nice to help fix my father's hearing aid... thank you! Very nice to help me when I needed a hand.

We had hearing aids made by Dr.Fulmar that made life so much better! We are so happy with his helpful manner and always giving us great service when we see him. We are happy customers !! Thank you read more

Great experience. Dr. Folmar took time to understand the situation and review options. Recommended.

Dr. Folmar is very professional and knowledgeable. I trusted the decisions he made on the adjustments and changes on my hearing devices to help enhance my hearing. read more

Dr. Folmar was wonderful with my mother. He was so patient and gentle with her and made many adjustments to help her acclimate to the hearing aides. He explained everything and was so thorough. If you have a parent who is needs a hearing aid and is afraid of getting one, this is the doctor for you. Regardless, you can't go wrong going with Peninsula Hearing Services, they are wonderful. read more

Love Dr Folmar, he has been so helpful, patient , fair and honest in his billing. I would feel very good about recommending him to friends.

Great Experiance. Dr. Folmar is kind, clear and concise. I received a thorough examination and excellent advice on my hearing situation. If you need hearing aids he has them ... and he has a great attitude about which ones are a good value and which ones cost more but don't give more satisfaction. Best of all, if you don't really need hearing aids yet he is going to give you that advice and a good idea of how to wait and judge for yourself when you might truly want and or need them. Also I got good advice about assisted listening devices for watching TV, so I can finally hear shows and movies more clearly. Best of all he accepts my insurance and so the visit only cost me a small co-pay. read more

John Folmar is a consummate professional whose manner inspires confidence in good outcomes. He deserves high marks for domain knowledge arising from a background in research, his clarity in communication, a true service ethic, and energy. No drama, no BS, right to the point. If I had known enhancing my hearing was so easy and so rewarding I would have done it long ago. read more

Dr. Folmar has been fantastic. He was very thoughtful in making a recommendation regarding which hearing aids were best for my specific situation. He took time to make sure that I understood the pros and cons of different devices and options that he offered, and made no effort to "over sell" me on features that I did not really need given the hearing loss that I have. He has been superb in the post sale support, as well. I had some unique fitting requirements that he addressed with a very cost effective approach. He has a friendly and reassuring manner that I really appreciate. I strongly recommend him . read more

John is a wonderful audiologist. He is thorough, communicative, responsive and a consummate professional. I purchased my hearing aids through a third party provider and he was the local audiologist assigned to me to fit the aids and ensure my satisfaction. He went more than the extra mile and I would not hesitate to recommend him. read more

I couldn't agree with the other reviewers more. Dr Folmar is thorough, knowledgeable, friendly and absolutely focused on the best solution for his patients. Your are never rushed. He spends the time needed and goes the extra mile to make sure his patients have all that's needed to meet their hearing needs. I know I sound like a marketing person. I'm not. I'm just really happy with my experience at Peninsula Hearing Services. read more

John, helped both my mother and father in law recently. He's responsive, professional, courteous, patient and did a great job. Thanks John

Dr. Folmar is excellent! He has been extremely helpful and patient in finding a solution for my father's hearing loss. My father can now join our conversations and feels more independent. We never felt rushed and he took the time needed to get the devices just right. He even followed up to see how the devices were working! He indeed has the personal touch you don't often find anymore. read more