Does Being Deaf Affect Your Health Insurance Costs?

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MomToDeafChild

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If you've had to purchase health insurance from a private insurer, or if you've added work insurance after a lapse of no insurance, did being deaf affect your insurance premium? Did they your deafness as a reason to charge you more?

I've always been curious how it would affect my daughter, being deaf, if we lost our health insurance and had to go with a private policy...
 
No, it doesn't. Unless Cochlear Implant made it a problem. But I wouldn't know because I'm on my husband's work insurance.
 
I'll ask my husband, and see what he say. I have Cochlear Implant.

edited: He said No.

be aware though. Insurance don't really cover hearing aids and such. If you are going for the hearing aid route, HearPo is a good private insurance to consider (or you can request this at your work). If you are going for CI, stick with medical insurance.
 
My insurance does not cover the fee of visiting audiologist or batteries. Cochlear implants need batteries in order to make sound therefore you ll pay $ out of your pocket for batteries.
 
My insurance didn't matter and I have Menieres Disease. When I signed up for it they just told me I wouldnt be able to get anything for a whole year that was associated with my deafness covered. meaning that they will cover like this x amount on like a hearing aid until after I have had my policy for a year. Which means I had to pay for the full amount.

I guess it depends on the policy?
 
Hearing or not has no bearing as far as health insurance goes.

However, they generally don't cover HAs and accessories.

They will cover CIs for those getting one (assumes one qualifies).
 
Just a note... don't most people with a registered disability get approved for Medicare? I've had it since I was maybe 19 (after I got off my moms), and Medicare pays most of my hearing bills, although there seems to be a set limit on it (like, no more than 2k a year- i think it's less than that though). I do have secondary insurance with Tricare though, which also pays for most it. However, it only pays a portion of audiologist tests, and Medicare was required to pay the rest. Medicare andd Tricare however, won't pay for new hearing aids... not straight up anyways... but it can be signed off through Tricare if they saw it as a necessity. On the other hand, both insurance programs have nothing against paying for the CI... which is weird... b/c it costs 3x more than new hearing aids...

I don't know much about private insurance. But I think with the health care reform, it might not matter much... I dunno... it's going change up quite a bit of things.
 
Er...what do you mean by being a registered disability?

You are right, it might be a moot point with HC.
 
sr171soars said:
Er...what do you mean by being a registered disability?

You are right, it might be a moot point with HC.
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Registered disability (might be the wrong term, but it's what comes to mind), is if you applied for social security for disability and were approved. Receiving social security disability benefits seems to concurrently automatically qualify the recipient for Medicare options.
 
my understanding is one would have to get SSDI benefits for 2 years before they get Medicare benefits; SSI you can get Medicaid coverage pretty much right away usually. I started getting SSI last Aug. (very late Aug.), got Medicaid in Sept. SSDI started in Dec., so I'd have to wait until Dec. 2011 to get Medicare.


When I checked with Blue Cross/Blue Shield (last year), they were not going to cover any of my deaf-related issues, since my deafness is "pre-existing", until I've been on their plan for 2 years. Although, with the reform law having passed recently, I think the pre-existing stuff is supposed to be taken cared of.
 
cdmeggers said:
my understanding is one would have to get SSDI benefits for 2 years before they get Medicare benefits; SSI you can get Medicaid coverage pretty much right away usually. I started getting SSI last Aug. (very late Aug.), got Medicaid in Sept. SSDI started in Dec., so I'd have to wait until Dec. 2011 to get Medicare.


When I checked with Blue Cross/Blue Shield (last year), they were not going to cover any of my deaf-related issues, since my deafness is "pre-existing", until I've been on their plan for 2 years. Although, with the reform law having passed recently, I think the pre-existing stuff is supposed to be taken cared of.
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I'll have to believe you. haha. I've been on my moms disability for ages (she has a spinal bifalda), and then had to go through the process to switch myself on it when I turned 18. So, I've probably just simply had Medicare for nearly 15 years now, but there probably is a wait process like you said, although, it might vary by state. Cause when I left CA and came to AZ, SS gave me a lot of crap and told me to re-enroll in Medicare (which I didn't even bother to do, but they sent me a new card anyway and I'm apparently still on it, so it all seems kinda wishy washy and I don't know what the heck they're talking about. Seriously, SS is a pain in the ass in general).
 
pandaundercover said:
Registered disability (might be the wrong term, but it's what comes to mind), is if you applied for social security for disability and were approved. Receiving social security disability benefits seems to concurrently automatically qualify the recipient for Medicare options.
Click to expand...

Thanks for clarifying.

I've never considered any of these options as I do just fine without 'em.
 
pandaundercover said:
I'll have to believe you. haha. I've been on my moms disability for ages (she has a spinal bifalda), and then had to go through the process to switch myself on it when I turned 18. So, I've probably just simply had Medicare for nearly 15 years now, but there probably is a wait process like you said, although, it might vary by state. Cause when I left CA and came to AZ, SS gave me a lot of crap and told me to re-enroll in Medicare (which I didn't even bother to do, but they sent me a new card anyway and I'm apparently still on it, so it all seems kinda wishy washy and I don't know what the heck they're talking about. Seriously, SS is a pain in the ass in general).
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haha yeah. got to love dealing with government programs huh.
 
deafness is "pre-existing", until I've been on their plan for 2 years.
Click to expand...

I kinda figure they would do that since CI came to the picture and forced insurance to cover it. It would be a sad thing IF they reject them in whole because of their deafness because some deaf who are not interested in CI really need insurance and they don't need insurance labeling deaf as pre-existing condition.
 
insurance stinks/self pay for HAs

I got "fed up" with all the "silliness" with stuff surrounding my "hearing problem" and just got HAs "on my own" (w/o insurance company interfering) and found a REALLY GOOD audiologist that doesn't overcharge. My dad helped me pay for my HA's. I paid him back part of the money for them. I just got "my part" ALMOST paid off.
 
Lighthouse77 said:
I kinda figure they would do that since CI came to the picture and forced insurance to cover it. It would be a sad thing IF they reject them in whole because of their deafness because some deaf who are not interested in CI really need insurance and they don't need insurance labeling deaf as pre-existing condition.
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Exactly that is what happened with me! Back in Michigan, I lost my job so I tried to get a private insurance just for two years until I am able to get Medicare (SSDI). This lady who is more like a broker for insurance companies told me that none of the insurance companies would take me and two of them would take me as long as I am willing to pay higher cost. The reason? They are afraid that I would drop them once I got the CI(s) which I have absolutely NO interest in. I went with Blue Cross Blue Shield instead. BCBS took me immeditately. That is why I am happy that the Health Care reform bill passed.

The more I thought on this.... why they would insured hearing people but not the Deaf? Once the hearing people lose their hearing, they are very likely to go for CI. If I were them, I would insured Deaf people who have no interest in CI and leave hearing people and those late deafed people out.
 
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