Studies: Bilateral Cochlear Implants Rock!.. Read on

Fragmenter said:
To everyone: I'm sorry I was so blind to this... I used to be like those Gallaudet protestors but through my love for my wife and children along with living in the "real" world, I've grown up so much. It's not a terrible thing to have the ability to communicate with theworld. It's silly when the deaf people think you're embarassed to be deaf or that you're "oral" and all those things. It's just silly. And uneducated.

Thank you for riling me up :D
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Hey we were all young once. I think that we all do mellow as we get older and are more able to see the shades of grey from other people's points of view rather than in terms of black or white.

And BTW anyone can see in your posts that you and Marshall have a very two way communication process. It really comes across that this was something he wanted for himself.
 
Frag, Thanks! There is one BIG BUT here. We are referring to insurance companies. While we have been told that Lilly is approved for bilateral, I am cautiously optimistic. I will have something in writing from the insurance company saying that they will pay for it. After the surgery, as we all know, I will get a statement from the hospital. If it says that we owe nothing, then I will celebrate! If not, then it is time for another insurance fight. As I said, cautious optimism.
 
I think bilateral is a matter for the individual and we should not be dogmatic about who should or should not receive one.
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Well as I said before, it's probaly very indivdualistic. I really think that the testing that Hear Now went through should be done. You should NOT get a CI just b/c you FEEL like you want a second one. I just think that b/c it's so expensive, a second one should be rationed carefully.
 
deafdyke said:
I just think that b/c it's so expensive, a second one should be rationed carefully.
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Um...last time I checked, there is not a shortage of CIs...why the hell should it be rationed?

If someone wants to get a 2nd CI, that is just fine with me. I see no problem with that. I would love to get a 2nd CI in a few years myself.
 
deafdyke said:
Well as I said before, it's probaly very indivdualistic. I really think that the testing that Hear Now went through should be done. You should NOT get a CI just b/c you FEEL like you want a second one. I just think that b/c it's so expensive, a second one should be rationed carefully.
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I don't think that anyone justs decides they feel like one and then goes out and gets it. There is a process to be followed with an audiologist which includes testing, just as for the first one. Insurance companies have to be satisfied that a second CI is going to be of some benefit. Remember they have shareholders to report to.
 
deafdyke said:
Well as I said before, it's probaly very indivdualistic. I really think that the testing that Hear Now went through should be done. You should NOT get a CI just b/c you FEEL like you want a second one. I just think that b/c it's so expensive, a second one should be rationed carefully.
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hey, why worry? especially when you aren't paying a dime on my insurance?

if it were the taxpayers' money, you're welcome to express your concerns ;)
 
Lillys dad said:
Frag, Thanks! There is one BIG BUT here. We are referring to insurance companies. While we have been told that Lilly is approved for bilateral, I am cautiously optimistic. I will have something in writing from the insurance company saying that they will pay for it. After the surgery, as we all know, I will get a statement from the hospital. If it says that we owe nothing, then I will celebrate! If not, then it is time for another insurance fight. As I said, cautious optimism.
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:rofl: we already fought our company the first time around AFTER the surgery! LOL. Good idea.... we should look into having them give us something in writing that holds them accountable for our second one around :)

thanks, bud! :ty:
 
deafdyke,

Just as with my first CI, the audiological testing for my second CI took 2.5-3 hours which means the testing involved is very thorough. I don't know if all CI centers have this extensive testing, but I'm sure many of them do.

If I remember correctly, the guidelines for receiving a second CI are speech discrimination scores of 30% or less when using a CI and HA together. If a person has a higher percentage than that, they will not be accepted as a bilateral CI candidate (at least this is the case at my CI center).

Hear Again

Left ear - Nucleus 24 Contour Advance with 3G
Implanted: 12/22/04 Activated: 1/18/05

Right ear - Nucleus Freedom
Implanted: 2/1/06 Activated: 3/1/06
 
This is not an issue of my children being an "oral deaf person". It is an issue of my children gaining the ability to communicate with anyone, anywhere and anytime.
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Frag, agreed! There is a difference between being "oral deaf" and being orally skilled. There's nothing wrong with having your kids develop oral skills....this way, they will have a lot of choices to choose from!
 
Hear Again said:
If you were to ask this person this question, I think she would tell you that having a second CI made a huge difference in her overall safety.

Interestingly enough, since receiving the second CI, she has not had a single incident where she was nearly hit by a loading truck because she could localize sound and hear the truck from a distance -- something she couldn't easily do with one CI.

Just because people with normal hearing may not always hear what is around them doesn't mean that a second CI isn't justified for those who want or need one.

Even if a person *wants* a second CI (as opposed to expressing a need), I have no problem with that since it is ultimately up to insurance companies to decide whether or not the second CI will be covered.

...
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That is one's person perspective. It wouldn't make a bit of difference with me having a second CI from a safety viewpoint. I'm extremely aware of my surroundings at all times. If the person you speak of is visually impaired, then I agree a second one makes a big difference. If the person is not visually impaired and who is deaf in some form relies heavily on sight anyhow. But, as I said there are those who couldn't buy a clue so what difference would two CIs make?

You are not understanding my point about wants/needs. People get that all mixed up and it is irrelevant if somebody else/organization allows one to cater to their wants as opposed to needs. It doesn't make such a decision valid.

At this point, this is degenerating into the realm of just plain ole difference of options without really enlightening anybody. Let's just agree to disagree. I have said all I wanted about this subject.

Thanks and have a good day.
 
LuciaDisturbed said:
Um...last time I checked, there is not a shortage of CIs...why the hell should it be rationed?

If someone wants to get a 2nd CI, that is just fine with me. I see no problem with that. I would love to get a 2nd CI in a few years myself.
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I totally agree with you that there is no shortage of CIs. That is truly an absurd assertion for somebody to make. Actually, the more the merrier and the cost goes down overtime. That benefits all users of CIs both past and future.
 
Just putting my 2 cents in........... my child has bi-lateral implants and is doing wonderfully. The surgeron tried to discourage us from proceeding, but we are glad that we did it, and so does my child. Test scores jumped significanly once both ears were on the same "wave length". Glad that we made that decision!
 
deafdyke said:
Well as I said before, it's probaly very indivdualistic. I really think that the testing that Hear Now went through should be done. You should NOT get a CI just b/c you FEEL like you want a second one. I just think that b/c it's so expensive, a second one should be rationed carefully.
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Economics should NOT be a decisive factor. Boults thread showed a pdf with benefits of a second CI. THAT's what is to be considered....

NOBODY get's a second one "just because they feel like it"

What's wrong with looking at the advantages and then wishing for your children - or for yourself - the benefits of bi-lateral hearing.....
 
sr171soars said:
I totally agree with you that there is no shortage of CIs. That is truly an absurd assertion for somebody to make. Actually, the more the merrier and the cost goes down overtime. That benefits all users of CIs both past and future.
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There might not be a shortage of CI's, there is still a que here in Norway. People are still on a waiting list. Don't know how it is in other countries... But, it's more than just the hardware obviously.
 
Cloggy said:
There might not be a shortage of CI's, there is still a que here in Norway. People are still on a waiting list. Don't know how it is in other countries... But, it's more than just the hardware obviously.
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Agreed, and now you are getting into the realm of bureaucracy which can flummox anybody! :whistle:
 
sr171soars said:
At this point, this is degenerating into the realm of just plain ole difference of options without really enlightening anybody. Let's just agree to disagree. I have said all I wanted about this subject.
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Actually, that opinion is shared by many others who are bilateral -- including myself.

Yes -- Let's agree to disagree on this one. <sigh>

Hear Again

Left ear - Nucleus 24 Contour Advance with 3G
Implanted: 12/22/04 Activated: 1/18/05

Right ear - Nucleus Freedom
Implanted: 2/1/06 Activated: 3/1/06
 
Cloggy said:
There might not be a shortage of CI's, there is still a que here in Norway. People are still on a waiting list. Don't know how it is in other countries... But, it's more than just the hardware obviously.
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We have both a socialised and a private medical sector here in Australia. In the socialised sector an adult has to wait 2-3 years to get their CI for free, because children are prioritised. However in the private sector the wait is just weeks after qualifying. However there doesn't seem to be any problems with bilateral coverage with the insurance companies here in Australia as in the US.
 
There is a wait here also. The Dr. that implanted Lilly told me that he has a rolodex full of kids waiting for surgery. When a spot opens, the fill it asap. Kids can while quite a while. We got lucky with Lilly. They told us we could wait up to a year before Lilly was implanted. About 3 weeks after being put on the Drs list, we got a phone call saying they wanted to implant Lilly in 2 days. A kid got sick and the spot was open, so we took it. They always say there is a wait, but none of the other parents have had to wait terribly long. I think they say that to keep the schedule open so if a kid needs one sooner than other kids, it happens.

Deaf dyke, you earlier statment about people just getting a second CI because they feel like it, as others have said, that would be unlikely. But if they did, why would you have a problem with that? If a person wants it, has the insurance (so it wouldnt cost you a dime), who are you to say they shouldnt?
 
I believe there is also a 2-3 year wait in Canada as well. In addition, Canadians who wish to receive bilateral CIs (children or adults) must be accepted into a research study.

Hear Again

Left ear - Nucleus 24 Contour Advance with 3G
Implanted: 12/22/04 Activated: 1/18/05

Right ear - Nucleus Freedom
Implanted: 2/1/06 Activated: 3/1/06
 
Let me explain my position regarding coverage of bilateral CIs.
I think in some cases, that they should be covered, no questions asked.
BUT, I also think that they should be limited. That is b/c although they are a wonderful thing, they also are VERY expensive. Although taxpayers don't pay out for them, it also translates into higher rate costs for the people who hold the insurance policies, and it also translates into higher health care costs for everyone! The majority of people can get along just fine with ONE CI. If the second one translated into drastic extreme benifit, I'd definitly be for insurance companies covering a second CI. But the majority of the time, it just has been shown to have rather minimal benifits.
 
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