hearing processors

[Guest guest]

Cochlear Americas makes their hearing processors so expensive,

that even those who already have processors, are not able to buy a

better latest model.

When one is hearing disabled or for that matter have any disability, to get a

good job with a health insurance that will pay for their processor, is hard to

imagine.  Disabled people do not get high paying jobs and are lucky if they get

any job at all.  Unless one is lucky to have rich parents or have Medi Cal, any

hope for a CI is usually not available.

Cochlear America calls May the hearing month.  The 3G is almost 9 years old, yet

they will not exchange it for their newer model-the nucleus 5.  If there is

something wrong with the 3G,

they will refurbish it.  The insurance companies and medicare have taken full

advantage of this.  They will also not help patients to change their 3G to a

newer model.  One insurance company will not pay for an upgrade for any 3G which

still works, no matter how old it is.

We all have a right to hear better.  When we talk to others about better hearing

processors, they say they are so expensive that they have to win a lottery to

get a free processor.  Only first time medicare patients will get it, after that

they are on their own.  Never mind if they have a 7-8 year old 3G which does not

do the same job that it did when it was new.

The way things are going with medicare, we may not get help to even repair what

we are using.

I am sure many on will agree on this.  When Cochlear does not want to

help, the audiologist and medicare also do not want to help, what can one do. 

Maybe if they employ hearing

handicapped audiologists and employees in medicare and Cochlear, they will be

better able to understand the needs of the hard of hearing.

Kamala Mirchandani