It is good to hear that CI centers are not pushing CIs for people indiscriminately like cataract surgeons I find do! My audiologist gets rave reviews on the local Checkbook as being patient and not upselling but doesn’t talk about assistive technology much at all. She did mention the Captel captioned landline (not a big cell phone user at all) and they are a lifeline for me in communicating with (nowadays typically foreign accented) customer service people.
There is an audiologist I have heard of nearby who hires students as interns from Gallaudet to help her patients at their homes with assistive technology and although I heard her at an HLAA talk mention she charges $1500 on top of the HA typical (if there is one) cost for this I think I should change to her and exhaust assistive technologies before looking into CIs at my age (although hearing aside in good health). Tom and others on MCC I am so appreciative of your contributions!