Studies: Bilateral Cochlear Implants Rock!.. Read on

Fragmenter said:
: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:
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actually we do pay for everyone's insurance be it private or public. If we were both using the same insurance company, we do pay believe it or not for every claim that is put in on insurances, the insurance companies raise the rates and deductibles for all. If you look at it that way. You are paying for other people to have procedures done.

Sorry, off-topic but my .02
 
MomtoIsandEm said:
That's a wonderful thing Sheri...i've heard great things about Let them Hear. We are at a deadend with our insurance right now for my daughter getting a b-lateral. Insurance is saying it is experimental and we don't know what to do next. Unfortunately, she has a freedom upgrade on her left ear and we'd like to stick with cochlear since we are happy with them. I've heard some rumblings that we can't apply at Let them Hear now? I can't read at your website...my computer is not allowing it so I'm going to try the library. Thanks for the information!
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Apparently I heard that Cochlear is setting up their own advocacy for people having problems with their insurance. You should be able to find the information at the Cochlear website I believe.

It's a shame though. I think there is merit in having one organisation in the US which is not brand loyal to help people with their insurance battles.

We are fortunate here in Australia that getting insurance coverage for either first or second implant doesn't seem to be a problem.
 
Bear said:
actually we do pay for everyone's insurance be it private or public. If we were both using the same insurance company, we do pay believe it or not for every claim that is put in on insurances, the insurance companies raise the rates and deductibles for all. If you look at it that way. You are paying for other people to have procedures done.

Sorry, off-topic but my .02
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True.

I think I pay more (to the dollar) on my insurance than the average person since it covers everyone in my family of 4 including me.
 
LTHFAdvocate said:
Hi, I'm new to this forum, but I have a Google-bot that spotted some language in this thread on bilateral CIs ........... nd implant but have been turned down by your insurer

Sheri
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Hi Sheri.
Welcome.

Well, you better post some more otherwise your first post could be considered advertisement.

I'm sure many people here are happy to hear from you..
 
Cochlear's insurance advocacy program

Cochlear has had their own insurance advocacy program for some time, it is called OMS. The person I know the best with that program is Linda Scott, and you can reach her through the general Cochlear toll-free # which is 800 523-5798

Unfortunately, LTHF had to suspend taking applications from Cochlear Corp. and Med-El patients due to resource constraints. There is a full history of this problem described in detail at Let Them Hear Foundation :: Advocacy We currently have over 200 appeals in progress and 11 people working on them, and even though we run this program on as much of a shoestring budget as possible, we can't keep it going full-tilt without substantial donations or in the alternative, charging families for our services which I am against doing. I am hoping the suspension is temporary and we'll be able to start taking applications from Cochlear and Med-El patients again soon.

Sheri
 
Sheri, Send Linda my regards. I met her at Central Institute for the Deaf in St.Louis. She came and spoke at a parents meeting. I ran into her again at deaf nation in St.Louis last summer. Lovely lady!
 
Sheri, disregard. I confused names. I was thinking Kathy Allen.


MOMOFISANDEM!!!!!! Kathy Allen is an advoacte for Cochlear America. I spoke to her this evening about your situation. She is going to send me some info about the Cochlear reimbursment program. This is their program for you to hget to other ear implanted. When I get the info, I will let you know.
 
Lillys dad said:
Sheri, disregard. I confused names. I was thinking Kathy Allen.


MOMOFISANDEM!!!!!! Kathy Allen is an advoacte for Cochlear America. I spoke to her this evening about your situation. She is going to send me some info about the Cochlear reimbursment program. This is their program for you to hget to other ear implanted. When I get the info, I will let you know.
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Please let me know about this also. Thx!
 
Hey guys... really intersted how the conference/forum was....
(bit envious that we don't have that kind of stuff here....)

WANT INFO !!!!!
 
Links to bi-lateral info

This link might be of interest to some of you...

Lots of good info.
 
The forum was amazing! They had several Doctors from Barnes Jewish Hospital, St.Louis Childrens Hospital, and Washington University. The audi staff from both hospitals, and a couple of bilateral implantees. They had a massive amount of info concerning studies of bilateral implantation and bimodal studues.
 
Lillys dad said:
The forum was amazing! They had several Doctors from Barnes Jewish Hospital, St.Louis Childrens Hospital, and Washington University. The audi staff from both hospitals, and a couple of bilateral implantees. They had a massive amount of info concerning studies of bilateral implantation and bimodal studues.
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Glad you enjoyed the link....
 
Just want to welcome Sheri! You are what a lot of parents on here (my son Fragmenter included) need!

Lillys dad -- I'll read some of that stuff after Fragmenter gets his copy -- betcha ya larned a lot last night? (I know bad English)

Everyone have a great weekend!
 
but you keep ignoring the additional benefit of the second CI.
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Cloggy, no.....Reread my posts...... I am 100% OK with a second CI if for example, the first CI does not give a lot of benifit (like they only get 65% or less of what's said) or if the person is totaly deaf in their unimplanted ear, and can't benifit all too much from a really good hearing aid, then implantation should be pursued!
Most people can benifit from hearing aids. And as I recall off the top of my head, even people with minmal aidable hearing, can localize sound with a hearing aid!
I'm not just " one CI is enough!". I always think I can hear really well with just one hearing aid, but then I put my second aid in, and I can hear a LOT. Still can't localize sound thou...LOL! I just think that a second CI should be a last option, after all other options have been explored and exhausted. I really think the matter of a second CI is going to be like the digital vs. analog aid debate.
That's all! If the person is tired out from using just one ear, and there's no other option.....YEAH! Implant! Just be absolutly positively sure that other options have been exhausted.
I have to say that sound localization and abilty to hear in noise is just really not a vital must have. Even hearing people have trouble hearing in noise!
Besides, unless you're trying to catch a prowler or a murderer, in the house sound localization isn't really a vital skill.
One vs. two for people who just want sound localization and abilty to hear in noise, just seems to be the difference between an MP 3 and whatever the newest form of music delivery will be!
Sherry, I don't deny that bilateral implantation has helped a lot of people.
However, I'm just not totally gung ho about it. That's all. .... And your results with adults might be skewered b/c maybe you're serving adults who weren't taught to adapt to their hearing loss, under a full toolbox philosophy. I remember that ADD like behavoir IS very common among oral deaf people, and that mental illness seems to be very high among oral deaf people....
Also, maybe right now you're serving the population that was waiting for bilateral implants or who have uneven losses
 
deafdyke said:
I remember that ADD like behavoir IS very common among oral deaf people, and that mental illness seems to be very high among oral deaf people....
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Oh, God, not this again.

"ADD like behavoir"? CIs do NOT cause ADD or mental illness, DD! We've gone over this.

Moving on...Bilateral CIs look like they would help with speech, since one's getting more feedback on how they're talking, as opposed to one CI.
 
Correct Boult, I was talking about the forum I attended last night. I started discussing some of the stuff from the forum, but I got busy at work. In fact, I just got home. I worked a 12 hour day and am now tired, I will update later.

I want to find someone with a scanner so I can scan the documents and out them here.
 
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