Re: Introduction & ? on MN law

[Guest guest]

Hi

Welcome!

My daughter was also adopted from China at 12 months but I knew about her

hearing loss before she came home. I do not know about the new hearing aid law

and how it applies in your state, but I can tell you that getting the aids

themselves was very quick. I had to wait for Jessie's ear molds which took a

couple of weeks, but I think the aids were available within a day or two -- not

sure since I had to wait for the molds anyway.

As far as cost goes -- $1500 per aid does not seem unusual. My daughter wears a

different brand --Widex Senso Divas. The Listen-up web site has some good ideas

if you do end up fighting for insurance reimbursement.

H.

Mom to Jessie (moderate loss).

Introduction & ? on MN law

Hi all,

My name is and I have 2 children adopted from China. My second

daughter came home at 12 months and was diagnosed with a moderate-

severe hearing loss at 22 months (although I suspected much sooner).

She's been wearing loaner hearing aids since July of last year. I

now have to buy her own aids. I was waiting for the new hearing aid

law to kick in as my company renewed its insurance (with Medica) on

May 1st.

My question: it appears as though insurance will only cover aids

listed on the MN DHS list. From my research earlier in the year, it

means that it will cover a little more than 1/4 of the cost of 's

aids (Oticon Adapto). Is this correct? I was told by the dispenser

this morning that I'd have to sign something saying I understood I'd

be responsible for the difference between what insurance covered and

the aids I order. I guess then I can't fight to have them cover

more. Doesn't seem right. I know these are good hearing aids, but

aren't most digital hearing aids in the neighborhood of $1500 per aid

or am I really getting a super deluxe model?

My other question: how soon might I get the aids after our

appointment on Tues a.m. I have to give the loaners back by the end

of next week (according to our clinical audiologist who's been

putting them off for awhile unbeknownst to me).

Thanks! And I've been lurking for about a month and have learned a

lot.

mom to - turning 5 in 2 weeks

and - turning 3 in 3 weeks, moderate-severe, aided at age 2

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[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/24/2004 1:34:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

chinamom.2@... writes:

I was told by the dispenser this morning that I'd have to sign something

saying I understood I'd be responsible for the difference between what insurance

covered and the aids I order. I guess then I can't fight to have them cover

more. Doesn't seem right. I know these are good hearing aids, but aren't

most digital hearing aids in the neighborhood of $1500 per aid or am I really

getting a super deluxe model?

mom to - turning 5 in 2 weeks

and - turning 3 in 3 weeks, moderate-severe, aided at age 2

Call anotyher distributor and get another quote. Shop around. There is nor

rule that I know of saying where you have to buy the aides. I know that when we

bought our son's first aides it was $1500 when buying through the audi. his

second aide (the same aide) was just over $1000 from our local hospital's

hearing center. Smaller suppliers will not get the same price as a big one. So

it

make sense to shop around like you would for anything from furniture to tvs.

When we recently bought our car, I got onto the phone with dealers 3 hours drive

away. If I could have saved $5,000 I'd have driven that in a heartbeat. Make

some calls, get some quotes .. shop around.

As to the signing something ... if sounds like what you are signing is the

agreement with the distributor/audi/hosptial and not the insurance company. This

is simply your agreement to pay any costs not covered by the insurance

company. We get those forms from the doctors all the time. If the claim is

rejected

because -- oh, you've gone over a yearly limit for some form of service, then

YOU have to pay the doctor directly.

This does NOT mean you have to stop petitioning the insurance company to

cover the aides. I'm not sure how successful you'll be in petitioning since

you've

got new law that requires them to cover aides and they've issued a list of

ones they will cover ... I don't know that law at all and we don't have one like

it in NY. If the agreement was with the insurance carrier saying that when

they pay the portion of the cost of the aides you are agreeing not to come to

them for more, that is another story. We signed forms like the one you describe

when we bought both of Ian's aides. And we continued to petition the insurance

company even though it never did us any good.

Best of luck -- Jill

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/24/2004 1:34:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

chinamom.2@... writes:

I was told by the dispenser this morning that I'd have to sign something

saying I understood I'd be responsible for the difference between what insurance

covered and the aids I order. I guess then I can't fight to have them cover

more. Doesn't seem right. I know these are good hearing aids, but aren't

most digital hearing aids in the neighborhood of $1500 per aid or am I really

getting a super deluxe model?

mom to - turning 5 in 2 weeks

and - turning 3 in 3 weeks, moderate-severe, aided at age 2

Call anotyher distributor and get another quote. Shop around. There is nor

rule that I know of saying where you have to buy the aides. I know that when we

bought our son's first aides it was $1500 when buying through the audi. his

second aide (the same aide) was just over $1000 from our local hospital's

hearing center. Smaller suppliers will not get the same price as a big one. So

it

make sense to shop around like you would for anything from furniture to tvs.

When we recently bought our car, I got onto the phone with dealers 3 hours drive

away. If I could have saved $5,000 I'd have driven that in a heartbeat. Make

some calls, get some quotes .. shop around.

As to the signing something ... if sounds like what you are signing is the

agreement with the distributor/audi/hosptial and not the insurance company. This

is simply your agreement to pay any costs not covered by the insurance

company. We get those forms from the doctors all the time. If the claim is

rejected

because -- oh, you've gone over a yearly limit for some form of service, then

YOU have to pay the doctor directly.

This does NOT mean you have to stop petitioning the insurance company to

cover the aides. I'm not sure how successful you'll be in petitioning since

you've

got new law that requires them to cover aides and they've issued a list of

ones they will cover ... I don't know that law at all and we don't have one like

it in NY. If the agreement was with the insurance carrier saying that when

they pay the portion of the cost of the aides you are agreeing not to come to

them for more, that is another story. We signed forms like the one you describe

when we bought both of Ian's aides. And we continued to petition the insurance

company even though it never did us any good.

Best of luck -- Jill

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/24/2004 1:34:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

chinamom.2@... writes:

I was told by the dispenser this morning that I'd have to sign something

saying I understood I'd be responsible for the difference between what insurance

covered and the aids I order. I guess then I can't fight to have them cover

more. Doesn't seem right. I know these are good hearing aids, but aren't

most digital hearing aids in the neighborhood of $1500 per aid or am I really

getting a super deluxe model?

mom to - turning 5 in 2 weeks

and - turning 3 in 3 weeks, moderate-severe, aided at age 2

Call anotyher distributor and get another quote. Shop around. There is nor

rule that I know of saying where you have to buy the aides. I know that when we

bought our son's first aides it was $1500 when buying through the audi. his

second aide (the same aide) was just over $1000 from our local hospital's

hearing center. Smaller suppliers will not get the same price as a big one. So

it

make sense to shop around like you would for anything from furniture to tvs.

When we recently bought our car, I got onto the phone with dealers 3 hours drive

away. If I could have saved $5,000 I'd have driven that in a heartbeat. Make

some calls, get some quotes .. shop around.

As to the signing something ... if sounds like what you are signing is the

agreement with the distributor/audi/hosptial and not the insurance company. This

is simply your agreement to pay any costs not covered by the insurance

company. We get those forms from the doctors all the time. If the claim is

rejected

because -- oh, you've gone over a yearly limit for some form of service, then

YOU have to pay the doctor directly.

This does NOT mean you have to stop petitioning the insurance company to

cover the aides. I'm not sure how successful you'll be in petitioning since

you've

got new law that requires them to cover aides and they've issued a list of

ones they will cover ... I don't know that law at all and we don't have one like

it in NY. If the agreement was with the insurance carrier saying that when

they pay the portion of the cost of the aides you are agreeing not to come to

them for more, that is another story. We signed forms like the one you describe

when we bought both of Ian's aides. And we continued to petition the insurance

company even though it never did us any good.

Best of luck -- Jill