Bilaterals (Sabine)

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

Went to see Dr. Oas, about a dizziness problem I've had for a

while. BPPV, and there is a new protocol for it. Anyway, he asked me

about why I wasn't bilateral, and when I told him my insurance won't

cover it, he mentioned calling the CEO of the company where one works and

finding out why it's not covered. He did this for someone who works for

a large bank here. Called up the CEO, after the insurance said it didn't

cover it. CEO told them to put it in, it was less to cover an implant

than to hire and train a new employee. Way to go.

So then I was talking about Medicare not covering bilaterals, thinking

of and all the others who are begging for coverage. This Dr.

mentioned Senator Harken D-Iowa who has a special interest in ears. The

Dr. also mentioned that he'd been at seminars in Germany, where

bilaterals are the norm. Sabine might be able to comment on that.

He said the Germans are laughing at us because we're spending billions

of dollars on a war for oil, and yet our children and adults are not

getting bilateral implants. He also mentioned the an adult who is post

lingually deafened will never hear as well with one implant as with 2.

Why? Because when you are learning speech as a child, you learn hearing

with 2 ears. So each ear hears something, and the brain figures it out.

Sample: Did you say cost or coast? Brain interprets signals from BOTH

ears and comes up with the correct word. It happens instantaneously.

But when you lose the hearing in both ears and only get implanted in one,

those hard wired neurons that used to hear on the inimplanted side aren't

going to work, so it's a neurological imbalance, and you'll never hear as

well with one as you do with 2. Germans, apparently have done the

research on this.

He asked who is more frugal than the Germans. ish, I replied.

OK, but next to the ish, the Germans are frugal, and if they have

done the research and determined that bilaterals are the best solution,

then WHY is the US so far behind on this.

We might all sit down and write to Senator Harken and say the very

same thing. Sure was an interesting visit.

Comments welcome,

[Guest guest]

,

How do we contact Senator Harkin? I'm bilateral and would love to share my

experiences in the hopes that Medicare will start paying for them.

Left ear - Nucleus 24 Contour Advance with Freedom BTE

Implanted: 12/22/04 Activated: 1/18/05

Right ear - Nucleus Freedom

Implanted: 2/1/06 Activated: 3/1/06

Deafblind/Postlingual

[Guest guest]

here is a link to a form on his webpage:

http://harkin.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm

I just browsed his page quickly and it seems as though he has an interest in

disabilities because of a quadriplegic nephew.

if you can't read the page with your screen reader let me know and I'll

see if I can find an email address for you.

Connie

Kozlik <lisak70@...> wrote:

,

How do we contact Senator Harkin? I'm bilateral and would love to share my

experiences in the hopes that Medicare will start paying for them.

Left ear - Nucleus 24 Contour Advance with Freedom BTE

Implanted: 12/22/04 Activated: 1/18/05

Right ear - Nucleus Freedom

Implanted: 2/1/06 Activated: 3/1/06

Deafblind/Postlingual

" The Miracle at Ohio State "

aka Nucleus Freedom

Implanted 10/04/2005

Activated 11/1/2005

Surgery: Ohio State University

Surgeon: Dr. Bradley Welling

http://internalmedicine.osu.edu/article.cfm?ID=2021

[Guest guest]

and Connie,

Thanks for this and the web site looks accessible. I will send an email

tonight. Sure worth a shot!

*---* *---* *---* *---* *---*

Let us remove your shorts.

--sign on an electrician's truck

& Dreamer Doll (Guide Dawggie)

Newport, Oregon

N24C 3G 8/2000 Hookup

rclark0276@...

http://webpages.charter.net/dog_guide/

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Connie! I'm just about to turn off the computer for the night, but

I'll take a look at the website tomorrow. If I have any difficulty accessing

the site, I'll let you know. Thanks again! <smile>

Left ear - Nucleus 24 Contour Advance with Freedom BTE

Implanted: 12/22/04 Activated: 1/18/05

Right ear - Nucleus Freedom

Implanted: 2/1/06 Activated: 3/1/06

Deafblind/Postlingual

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I see Connie and chirped in on how to contact the Senator. Way

to go guys, thanks.

Posted by: " Kozlik " lisak70@... neondreamr

Thu Jan 18, 2007 5:31 pm (PST)

,

How do we contact Senator Harkin? I'm bilateral and would love to share

my

experiences in the hopes that Medicare will start paying for them.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Sorry for my late response but we have been hit by a storm very badly last

week and our phone line broke down (among other things).

> mentioned Senator Harken D-Iowa who has a special interest in ears. The

> Dr. also mentioned that he'd been at seminars in Germany, where

> bilaterals are the norm. Sabine might be able to comment on that.

Unfortunately, this is not quite right. Bilaterals have been the norm for

some time for children and adults who lost their hearing after meningitis.

My son was the first child worldwide to receive bilateral implants in one

surgery and that was in February 2001.

For everybody else, it still very much depends on their health insurance

whether they receive a second ci easily or only after a long and tiring

fight with lots of appeals.

It is getting better, though. With every fight that is won, it will become

easier for other patients.

> He said the Germans are laughing at us because we're spending billions

> of dollars on a war for oil, and yet our children and adults are not

> getting bilateral implants.

That is a bit of a generalization. Most people here in Germany are not even

aware of how things are being done in the US (ci related).

And the war sure is a completely different topic.

Best wishes from Germany,

Sabine in Cologne, Germany with

(12/98),

Christian (4/00, great hearing with 2 CIs since 4/01 after meningitis),

Florian (6/02) and

Tobias (8/04) -

all growing up bilingually German/English

[Guest guest]

Thanks Sabine,

I think the Dr. meant that German hearing professionals were laughing

at us for spending our resources on a war rather than helping out adults

and children do better with their hearing.

Thanks for the info on the bilaterals for meningitis stricken adults,

and for children. Will let him know when I next see him.

Appreciate your reply,

Posted by: " FamWe " CLEO@... germommy

Sun Jan 28, 2007 3:31 am (PST)

Hi ,

Sorry for my late response but we have been hit by a storm very badly

last

week and our phone line broke down (among other things).

> mentioned Senator Harken D-Iowa who has a special interest in ears. The

> Dr. also mentioned that he'd been at seminars in Germany, where

> bilaterals are the norm. Sabine might be able to comment on that.

Unfortunately, this is not quite right. Bilaterals have been the norm for

some time for children and adults who lost their hearing after

meningitis.

My son was the first child worldwide to receive bilateral implants in one

surgery and that was in February 2001.

For everybody else, it still very much depends on their health insurance

whether they receive a second ci easily or only after a long and tiring

fight with lots of appeals.

It is getting better, though. With every fight that is won, it will

become

easier for other patients.

> He said the Germans are laughing at us because we're spending billions

> of dollars on a war for oil, and yet our children and adults are not

> getting bilateral implants.

That is a bit of a generalization. Most people here in Germany are not

even

aware of how things are being done in the US (ci related).

And the war sure is a completely different topic.

Best wishes from Germany,

Sabine in Cologne, Germany with

(12/98),

Christian (4/00, great hearing with 2 CIs since 4/01 after meningitis),

Florian (6/02) and

Tobias (8/04) -

all growing up bilingually German/English