Cochlear implants are nice, but accessory prices suck

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Rickyrab

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I am bilaterally implanted with Cochlear Nucleus/Freedom (?) type implants, one of my implants being a couple of years older than the other one. The devices work fine, but there has been a couple of issues. The first issue is hardly a problem: when the processors fall off, earhooks sometimes break. Fortunately, however, earhooks are rather cheap.

The second issue is a bigger problem: the small size of batteries/ battery holders and cases, and the need to replace the batteries while on the road. The trouble with this is that I misplace battery holders/cases, and a couple of them wound up missing or lost in Chicago (I am a New Jersey resident). Here's where I get annoyed, as Cochlear Americas sells those cases at what I believe to be excessively high prices (the holder goes for about $200 and the cover would set someone back another $100). This seems to me an exorbitant price for a couple of plastic pieces and a few strips of metal (which is what the pieces essentially are). I'm pretty sure that something like those parts could be manufactured for a lot less if the manufacturer put their minds to the task.

Does anyone else feel this way? Perhaps we should organize and try to find a way to bargain down Cochlear America's prices to more reasonable levels. This would presumably require contacting or organizing a large part of Cochlear Americas, Advanced Bionics, and Med-El's customer bases (the other companies are probably just as guilty, although I don't know very much about their pricing practices).
 
U wanted CIs, that is the price u have to pay. Did u already know that they were expensive before u decided to get them? If so, then why get them?

Same with hearing aid parts being expensive.
 
If you are misplacing things and losing them that's kind of negligent on your part...not cochlears. Be more careful and you wouldn't need to pay to replace those things as often meaning less $ out of your pocket.
 
I have a friend with a N5 who travels round Europe loads for her job. Never has she lost anything to do with her CI.

Be more carful then you won't have to keep paying out!
 
Yep, what they all said.

Parts for CI's are expensive, and there isn't a damned thing we can do about it. HA parts are not cheap either.

Losing parts is a personal problem, something you might want to look into addressing instead of buying more stuff.

If you are absent-minded and/or a klutz, getting into the habit of putting everything back in the same place daily is a great thing....but, you have to commit to doing so.

I have a small backpack that I take everywhere with me, it has a small compartment that I store batteries in.

Every single night I put my CI's, glasses, etc, in the same spot. I live with two absent-minded lazy klutzes, they are slow to catch on, but they finally realized that was the way to go.
 
As I understand matters-Implant costs-the major cost is the operation installing the internal processor.
As for losing the battery-I have Advanced Bionics-Harmony rechargeable battery which isn't "tiny".

Aside: bilateral DEAF since December 20, 2006
 
I agree, develop a habit of where you keep your things--a box on your nightstand that you can take with you when you travel maybe?

They are expensive, which is why you need to take better care of them. I just had my HA's fixed (new ear molds and wires) to the tune of $400. Technology isn't cheap.
 
Okay, since folks around here seem to feel that I've been a bit too careless, I'd like to know where to get the money to resolve the results of this problem. I've been looking for paying jobs without much success for more than half a year by now, and I felt that the implants would help (and they have, in many ways).
 
Rickyrab said:
Okay, since folks around here seem to feel that I've been a bit too careless, I'd like to know where to get the money to resolve the results of this problem. I've been looking for paying jobs without much success for more than half a year by now, and I felt that the implants would help (and they have, in many ways).
Click to expand...

Determine your priorities, and sell some possessions you can live without to have your CI in working condition.

Or sell your blood and save it until you can replace.

Take a loan if anyone will give you one...
 
green427 said:
Yep, what they all said.

Parts for CI's are expensive, and there isn't a damned thing we can do about it. HA parts are not cheap either.
Click to expand...

I think the issues here have only partly to do with technology and at least as much to do with intellectual property and intellectual property abuse. There have been movements in the Internet community to lower the costs involved in computer software by reverse-engineering and creating generic programs.

Is there a fundamental reason for the high costs, other than intellectual property (patents, copyrights, "proprietary technology", etc.)? Are there scarce metals involved, or lack of economies of scale in manufacturing, or overpaid employees of the companies?
 
It's easy to say "we can't do this" or "we can't do that", because then one can just wave it off as an "act of nature" without looking for reasons and doing anything that might be possible about it, no matter how improbable. It is a bit harder to investigate the reasons behind the problem.

Yes, I have an issue with misplacing things. What often happens is that my batteries are in a carrying case or wallet attached to my belt (the result of earlier issues with misplacing things)... the same case used for many of my cards and train tickets. So, cards themselves are hard to find in the cases. So I take all the cards out. The batteries might fall out, so I need to find a way to separate the batteries and the cards.

However, that still does not solve, or explain, the issues surrounding high costs of implants and components. Back in 2011, Nevada lost what was then its only provider of cochlear implant surgeries when a hospital, hemorrhaging money and looking for ways to stem the bleeding, stopped doing cochlear surgeries. This was because Medicaid didn't pay enough money to satisfy the cochlear companies' desires. (I think a surgery center eventually stepped into the breach, but it was touch and go for some time.)

In another instance, Cochlear Americas offered kickbacks to doctors in proportion to the number of cochlear implants several years ago. The federal(?) government took exception and sued, arguing that the kickbacks led to artificially inflated prices. The suit was eventually settled out of court. Notably, Cochlear Americas was unwilling to say how high the price of an implant/implant accessory needed to be in order for the company to make a profit.

Cochlear Americas Pays $950,000 to Settle Federal Kickback Allegations
 
Rickyrab said:
I think the issues here have only partly to do with technology and at least as much to do with intellectual property and intellectual property abuse. There have been movements in the Internet community to lower the costs involved in computer software by reverse-engineering and creating generic programs.

Is there a fundamental reason for the high costs, other than intellectual property (patents, copyrights, "proprietary technology", etc.)? Are there scarce metals involved, or lack of economies of scale in manufacturing, or overpaid employees of the companies?
Click to expand...

Research is expensive. CI's and HA's don't have as big a market as cellphones, etc, so it boils down to all costs to make being distributed to a small quantity of products/buyers.
 
LoveBlue said:
Research is expensive. CI's and HA's don't have as big a market as cellphones, etc, so it boils down to all costs to make being distributed to a small quantity of products/buyers.
Click to expand...

Okay, so maybe we should look at what technologies cochlear implants and hearing aids might be able to share with cell phones, computers, and other electric/ electronic devices.

Fact: cochlear processors require electrical power. So do computers, cell phones, digital cameras, etc.

Fact: cochlear processors have electronic components (and one electrical engineer somewhat clumsily managed to reverse engineer an Advanced Bionics compatible processor). I wonder if there might be a way for cochlear processors, hearing aids, cell phones, and digital cameras to share some hardware elements, thus spreading costs of more components over a wider market.

Fact: cochlear processors have some form of sound input (a microphone), as do many digital cameras and all cellphones. So why not find some way to share those, as well?
 
Rickyrab said:
Okay, so maybe we should look at what technologies cochlear implants and hearing aids might be able to share with cell phones, computers, and other electric/ electronic devices.

Fact: cochlear processors require electrical power. So do computers, cell phones, digital cameras, etc.

Fact: cochlear processors have electronic components (and one electrical engineer somewhat clumsily managed to reverse engineer an Advanced Bionics compatible processor). I wonder if there might be a way for cochlear processors, hearing aids, cell phones, and digital cameras to share some hardware elements, thus spreading costs of more components over a wider market.

Fact: cochlear processors have some form of sound input (a microphone), as do many digital cameras and all cellphones. So why not find some way to share those, as well?
Click to expand...

I'd rather not wear my cell phone on my head....no would I want some kind of a cord running to the cellphone in my pocket in order for that to work. If you incorporated CI technology into a cell phone, your cell phone would cost $8000+.
 
Rickyrab said:
Okay, so maybe we should look at what technologies cochlear implants and hearing aids might be able to share with cell phones, computers, and other electric/ electronic devices.

Fact: cochlear processors require electrical power. So do computers, cell phones, digital cameras, etc.

Fact: cochlear processors have electronic components (and one electrical engineer somewhat clumsily managed to reverse engineer an Advanced Bionics compatible processor). I wonder if there might be a way for cochlear processors, hearing aids, cell phones, and digital cameras to share some hardware elements, thus spreading costs of more components over a wider market.

Fact: cochlear processors have some form of sound input (a microphone), as do many digital cameras and all cellphones. So why not find some way to share those, as well?
Click to expand...

HOH-ME said:
I'd rather not wear my cell phone on my head....no would I want some kind of a cord running to the cellphone in my pocket in order for that to work. If you incorporated CI technology into a cell phone, your cell phone would cost $8000+.
Click to expand...

I don't think Ricky is talking to combining them in one device. BUT sharing some common parts — such as a mic to get economy of scale.
 
that's the price you pay for getting a CI. They're going to be expensive, no matter what.
 
If you want your CI company to continue doing research and improving upon their implants, processors, and technology, you will have to pay the price. They have to make a profit AND research money. I agree you should be more careful rather than complaining about the cost. Get an extended warranty or insurance coverage (State Farm will insure them) instead of just complaining about it.
 
Rickyrab said:
I think the issues here have only partly to do with technology and at least as much to do with intellectual property and intellectual property abuse. There have been movements in the Internet community to lower the costs involved in computer software by reverse-engineering and creating generic programs.

Is there a fundamental reason for the high costs, other than intellectual property (patents, copyrights, "proprietary technology", etc.)? Are there scarce metals involved, or lack of economies of scale in manufacturing, or overpaid employees of the companies?
Click to expand...

No but manufacturers who make this are scarce. I understand it as I'm in a very specialized job market myself therefore I get to charge exorbitant fees for what I do. It's ironic because almost ANYBODY can do what I do. It is EASY! It's about need vs demand. If you started to manufacture the parts... you'd be jumping in on a claim of the market while all the while lowering prices industry-wide. Right now... the balance is in their favor... just like it is in mine.
 
NitroHonda said:
No but manufacturers who make this are scarce. I understand it as I'm in a very specialized job market myself therefore I get to charge exorbitant fees for what I do. It's ironic because almost ANYBODY can do what I do. It is EASY! It's about need vs demand. If you started to manufacture the parts... you'd be jumping in on a claim of the market while all the while lowering prices industry-wide. Right now... the balance is in their favor... just like it is in mine.
Click to expand...

Interesting point. Yea I guess it's expensive because demand way outstrips supply.
 
It's also due to the fact that our health care system is 100% capitalist. B/c of this, manufactors of health care items can charge what they wish.
I wouldn't complain....you got the CI itself covered by insurance.
 
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