Nevada: UMC can't afford to help deaf with cochlear implants

[Guest guest]

The Las Vegas Review-Journal - July 3, 2011

------------

UMC can't afford to help deaf with cochlear implants

By Harasim <http://www.reviewjournal.com/about/print/rjstaff.html>

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

The big brown eyes of 2-year-old Anahi focus on the hands and lips

of speech therapist Noble, who is teaching the pretty little deaf girl

the sign language for " all done " as they finish playing with a ball.

Noble's hands are in front of her chest, palms facing in, fingers pointing

up. Then she turns her hands with a quick movement with her palms facing

out.

" All done, " Noble says, repeating the sign.

In imitation, Anahi flips her tiny hands with a smile that grows each time

she does it.

Her mother, les, sits nearby in the therapy room. Proud of her

wordless baby girl, she applauds.

And then, with tears in her eyes, les quietly bows her head and says a

silent prayer.

What she prays for during each therapy session at the South Rancho Drive

office of Hope Communication and Feeding Specialists is that her only child

won't have to rely just on sign language to communicate.

" Dr. () Ng says that with a cochlear implant she'd probably be able

to learn to hear and talk, " les said. " But now no hospitals in Las Vegas

are doing the operations because Medicaid and insurance won't pay enough for

them. I pray my daughter doesn't have to be deaf for life because of money. "

AN EXPENSIVE MIRACLE

Divine intervention could be what is needed to keep Anahi, a Medicaid

patient, and dozens of other Nevada children and adults from an unending

sound of silence, now that officials at University Medical Center, the last

hospital in the state to offer the implants, have said it is has become

financially impossible to continue the cochlear implant procedures.

There also is the possibility, however remote, that Anahi and others without

high reimbursement insurance plans could have their procedures done at

private ambulatory surgical centers, which are just beginning locally to

enter this surgical arena.

For that to happen, manufacturers of the implants will have to dramatically

cut their prices, said Dr. Rudy Manthei, president of one of the centers.

UMC administrators said that's something manufacturers have been unwilling

to do for their patients.

.....

Complete story, picture: http://tinyurl.com/3m8qelj

[Guest guest]

Interesting you post this tonight. Just heard on the news (tho tis old

news to me) the kind of salaries many CEO's enjoy. While they lay off

workers the folks upstairs treat themselves to bonuses and pay raises, as

much as 20% a year. Nice to know huh.

Wonder what its like to receive $85 million plus bonues a year....

Quote of the nanosecond...

Wouldn't you know it....Brain cells come and brain cells go, but FAT cells

live forever.

& Dreamer Doll ke7nwn

E-mail-

Gone.to.Dawgs@...

Home Page-

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

Nevada: UMC can't afford to help deaf with cochlear

implants

> The Las Vegas Review-Journal - July 3, 2011

>

> ------------

>

>

> UMC can't afford to help deaf with cochlear implants

>

>

> By Harasim <http://www.reviewjournal.com/about/print/rjstaff.html>

> LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

>

> The big brown eyes of 2-year-old Anahi focus on the hands and

> lips

> of speech therapist Noble, who is teaching the pretty little deaf

> girl

> the sign language for " all done " as they finish playing with a ball.

>

> Noble's hands are in front of her chest, palms facing in, fingers pointing

> up. Then she turns her hands with a quick movement with her palms facing

> out.

>

> " All done, " Noble says, repeating the sign.

>

> In imitation, Anahi flips her tiny hands with a smile that grows each time

> she does it.

>

> Her mother, les, sits nearby in the therapy room. Proud of her

> wordless baby girl, she applauds.

>

> And then, with tears in her eyes, les quietly bows her head and says a

> silent prayer.

>

> What she prays for during each therapy session at the South Rancho Drive

> office of Hope Communication and Feeding Specialists is that her only

> child

> won't have to rely just on sign language to communicate.

>

> " Dr. () Ng says that with a cochlear implant she'd probably be able

> to learn to hear and talk, " les said. " But now no hospitals in Las

> Vegas

> are doing the operations because Medicaid and insurance won't pay enough

> for

> them. I pray my daughter doesn't have to be deaf for life because of

> money. "

>

> AN EXPENSIVE MIRACLE

>

> Divine intervention could be what is needed to keep Anahi, a Medicaid

> patient, and dozens of other Nevada children and adults from an unending

> sound of silence, now that officials at University Medical Center, the

> last

> hospital in the state to offer the implants, have said it is has become

> financially impossible to continue the cochlear implant procedures.

>

> There also is the possibility, however remote, that Anahi and others

> without

> high reimbursement insurance plans could have their procedures done at

> private ambulatory surgical centers, which are just beginning locally to

> enter this surgical arena.

>

> For that to happen, manufacturers of the implants will have to

> dramatically

> cut their prices, said Dr. Rudy Manthei, president of one of the centers.

>

> UMC administrators said that's something manufacturers have been unwilling

> to do for their patients.

>

> ....

>

> Complete story, picture: http://tinyurl.com/3m8qelj

>

>

>

>

>

>