Insurance Companies Suck

My states insurance will only cover one... thanks insurance but I have hearing loss in both ears...
 
My experience with hearing aids was frustrating, the insurance paid for nothing, not even a hearing test. However, if the hearing test was done at the direction of an MD it was covered. I now have two cochlear implants and the surgery was covered and two processors for each ear (4 total) were covered along with all the doo dads that go along. (The accessories do make my life much better, I'm not belittling them at all) I also get replacement hardware after 7 years, also covered. I had separate surgeries for each ear (should have had both done at the same time--my mistake bc of lack of courage) so I figure my insurance invested about $90 thousand in my head, I have no complaints, but I will always feel they should have helped with 14 years of hearing aid expense. For a long time I was non-functional without HA's and of course I am now totally deaf w/o CI processors.
 
Insurance companies are in the business for only one reason and this is to make a lot of $$$$ !
 
DeafDucky said:
One per year or one for the lifetime of the insurance?
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One hearing aid ever 5 years, in ten years I will have a pair hahaha. No but I do have to hop through some hoops to get that one. And my hearing aids are maxed out on volume, I need stronger ones. Next year, which is almost here yay, I can get a new one and then VR is going to cover the other one thank the lords for VR.
 
whatdidyousay! said:
Insurance companies are in the business for only one reason and this is to make a lot of $$$$ !
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I agree that insurance companies only care about making money. What doesn't make sense is why they are willing to pay $100-200 thousand on an implant and deny paying for a hearing aid that generally cost less than $5,000. I suspect the deep pockets of the AG Bell lobby groups that play a role in this decision.

Also, insurance companies prefer to pay for things that will "fix the problem" and CI's are marketed as a cure where hearing aids just potentially make life easier.
 
zephren said:
I agree that insurance companies only care about making money. What doesn't make sense is why they are willing to pay $100-200 thousand on an implant and deny paying for a hearing aid that generally cost less than $5,000. I suspect the deep pockets of the AG Bell lobby groups that play a role in this decision.

Also, insurance companies prefer to pay for things that will "fix the problem" and CI's are marketed as a cure where hearing aids just potentially make life easier.
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The only people running around claiming CI's are marketed as a cure are those that run in Deaf circles that are fueled by ignorance and paranoia. No professional entity at any level of the CI process claims it is a cure, whether at the Cochlear Implant Center or the manufacturer.

The fact is that CIs, in comparison to a hearing aid, do "fix the problem." As in DeafNerdMommy's case, she is chasing declining hearing with stronger hearing aids. This is often the case for those with severe to profound hearing loss where the loss is usually progressive. Hearing Aids are simply band aids that can fail to service the needs of the user. Cochlear Implants can actually restore frequencies that a hearing aid is unable to. This is where the "cure" idea comes from. Why would the insurance company pay for an amplification device that can help with sound awareness at best, but do little in terms of actual speech discrimination? Band Aids cost less than stitches, but they aren't going to hold a gash together so that it may heal properly.
 
DeafNerdMommy said:
One hearing aid ever 5 years, in ten years I will have a pair hahaha. No but I do have to hop through some hoops to get that one. And my hearing aids are maxed out on volume, I need stronger ones. Next year, which is almost here yay, I can get a new one and then VR is going to cover the other one thank the lords for VR.
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So if you need eyeglasses you would get only one lense every 5 years too ...
 
whatdidyousay! said:
So if you need eyeglasses you would get only one lense every 5 years too ...
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Strange logic...glasses in general are not covered by insurance anyway. Their costs are not as high as hearing aids either unless you have a really specialized Rx.
 
My insurance covers hearing aids. Just over $2,000, but not sure if it covers one aid or two aids. Just got a new insurance last year. Yeah, I know I need to read it. ;P
 
Digital signal Processing in current HAs make them much more effective than their Analog progenitors. Since CIs are only covered only after someone's hearing reaches the absolute worst state. Progressive loss or not people require as much assistance possible until a CI becomes a covered option.
 
To be honest, I prefer analog hearing aids over digital hearing aids. I am sure some people here can understand that I like natural sounds. Yes, digital hearing aids are effective and can control feedback. The biggest flaw of analog hearing aids is the feedback.
 
I have a analog HA too. I suspect, before long analog HA will be phased out. Just like the Beta and VHS and tube TV. I do not need a digital HA. It is a waste of $$ in my opinion.
 
Insurance companies never gave me any help with my HAs analog or digital. One companies told me HAs do not contribute to overall health.
 
C-NICE said:
Insurance companies never gave me any help with my HAs analog or digital. One companies told me HAs do not contribute to overall health.
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I was told by my audie that leaning sign wouldn't contribute to my overall health. I feel out of my chair laughing because signing doesn't have anything to do with health.
 
Barbaro said:
To be honest, I prefer analog hearing aids over digital hearing aids. I am sure some people here can understand that I like natural sounds. Yes, digital hearing aids are effective and can control feedback. The biggest flaw of analog hearing aids is the feedback.
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I have new digital hearing aids and my TV sound awful , I had my daughter and a neighbor listen to my TV and both said it sound fine. I am hoping it my hearing aids and not my ears . I see my audi tomorrow . I prefer analog HA too I wore them most of my life . I can't stand all the beeping on digital HA and I don't like the push button on them .
 
The beeping you can have turned of when the hearing aid is programmed. Most of the beeps I had turned off. Only time is when I'm switching between t-coil and mic.

Loved my analog- grew up with them but it's getting harder to find analog in general- they're out there but harder to find.
 
Yet another thread going off topic

Back to insurance companies. I'm certainly not defending them for how the "treat" us sometimes, but don't you think they need to "make money" in order to pay out for surgeries, hospitalization, etc. If you ever incurr $xx,xxx or $xxx,xxx medical expenses, I'm sure you'll be thankful your insurance company has the $$ to pay those expenses - whether partial or wholly.
 
All that is true but in this case our issue is our hearing losses and deficits. Just last night there was a rerun of Sicko was on. There was a little girl that needed a second CI and the insurance company only paided up after the father went to Michael Moore.
 
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