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June 8, 2006
Provide coverage for hearing aids
Most people give little thought to their hearing. An alarm clock wakes them up. They can hear in restaurants, meetings, places of worship and theaters without effort. They can communicate easily with others. However, hard-of-hearing people are forced to ask people to repeat themselves; we must position ourselves in restaurants, meetings and places of worship in order to maximize our ability to hear.
We can't hear someone walking up behind us; that just isn't safe.
No wonder hearing loss is linked to depression, anxiety and social isolation. Hard-of- hearing people are more likely to be underemployed and rely on social services for basic support.
However, hearing aids can improve quality of life — emotional and economic welfare.
In greater Rochester, an estimated 100,000 people have a hearing loss. Ninety percent of them are hard of hearing. Nationwide, 31 million people are hard of hearing, 12 million of them schoolchildren.
Schoolchildren need listening skills to develop proper spoken linguistic skills and to enhance their social development; this provides them with a better chance to function in a hearing world.
So, why aren't hearing aids covered by most insurance companies?
Assemblymen Joseph Morelle, D-Irondequoit, and David Koon, D-Perinton, and State Sen. James Alesi, R-Perinton, are sponsoring legislation to require all health insurance companies to provide coverage for up to $1,000 every three years for adults and every two years for children. The Monroe County Legislature recently supported a memorializing resolution urging support of this legislation. The purpose of insurance is to spread the cost among a large number of people to make medical care affordable. The average cost of a hearing aid is $1,900 and most people need two. People wait an average of seven years before exploring this option, and cost is a factor along with denial and embarrassment. Cost must be removed as a barrier to these life-enhancing devices.
More mandates? Yes! Preferred Care had an $80 million surplus in 2005; Excellus Blue Cross/Blue Shield had a $198 million surplus. What is the cost of hearing aid coverage? Medicaid expenditures in 2005-06 totaled $65 billion; hearing aids were only $4,423,000.
Hearing loss is a medical problem. Medical insurance provides vision, dental, drugs and prostheses coverage; hearing aids are similar health-related products. Where is the parity in this coverage for those of us with hearing aids? It is time for this legislation to become law.
By Jessie Marvin Lazeroff and Marcia Dugan
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060608/OPINION02/606080361/1039/OPINION
Posted by 4HL on June 8, 2006 7:50 AM
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