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You are partially correct. The issue is that most hearing aids use Bluetooth Low Energy Protocol to achieve long battery life. Support for this protocol is not implemented in most devices (computers, TVs, etc), although it is in Windows 11. This is why many people, including me, can see my hearing aids as a possible connection (Windows 11 support), but cannot connect to them due to their computer's lack of support (i.e. my Dell XPS 8950).
The "proprietary wireless audio" remark on the Apple website is referring to technology in the individual device. This is not a conspiracy. They are bridge devices created to make up for the lack of support from the computers. The same is true for most TVs, which is why a TV streamer is necessary to connect hearing aids to a TV.
As hearing aid wearers, we are a minority of the population, which makes our connection frustrations a lower priority for computer and TV manufacturers.