Fourth of July

We had a very nice Fourth of July. We took Drew and his sister to our local parade. We were so excited because Drew could hear so many of the sounds of the parade. He heard fire engine sirens, horns honking on the classic cars, planes flying in the sky and marching bands. It was so exhausting hearing all of those new sounds. Drew actually fell asleep on Pa Pa's shoulder about mid-way through the parade!

Drew Sleeping.

Notice the pockets that have been sewn on Drew's clothing to hold his BWP's. They are very cute and are easy to access in case his processors are not working properly.

This week of hearing has been so exciting! To see him respond to sound just brings a huge smile to my face and tears to my eyes. I was able to keep Drew awake while riding in the car. I didn't want him to fall asleep until we got home - and it worked! Every time I would yell, "Drew", he would open his eyes. Can you believe it? He will turn his head in the DIRECTION of knocking sounds we make while sitting at the kitchen table. He will turn his head and look in the DIRECTION he hears sounds coming from, be it our voices, the TV or one of his sisters noisy toys. It is completely amazing and would never have been possible without the wonderful technology of cochlear implants. What a wonderful journey we are on!

Happy Birthday, America! And Happy Hearing, Drew!

"Is That It? I'll Just Pay Cash."

We got Drew's "Explanation of Benefits" for his bilateral, simultaneous cochlear implant operation in the mail on Tuesday. We had a little bet going on who would come closest to the total cost, but both Drew's Mom and I were way too low.

The total "Provider Charges" were a whopping $155,232.71! However, because our insurance company Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield evidently "gets it" regarding how important bilateral cochlear implants can be for a child (or adult), the total out-of-pocket cost to us is only $1,170.15.
As I constantly "meet" people from Spain, Sweeden, California, South America, and all over who are dealing with hearing loss, hearing aids or cochlear implants, one thing is clear. That is the fact that whether one has insurance that will cover their chosen "plan of attack" directly impacts how successful that plan will be.

We are the fortunate ones. Our insurance company (Anthem of Virginia) gave phone approval in under five minutes for a procedure that some families never get. (I'd like to thank those who have decided to cover this procedure, as it truly makes a difference for Drew. I'll never meet you, but if you happen to see this please know we feel you have done a great service to your customers.)

Some insurance companies (now the minority) don't cover cochlear implants at all. Other insurance companies claim that a second cochlear implant is experimental or not medically necessary, despite growing evidence that they do benefit the users.

Because most of us can't quite find it in the budget to write a check for $155,000, not obtaining insurance approval means that they won't be able to take advantage of the cochlear implant technology. Families often fight for months or years to get insurance approval, while precious weeks roll away. These vanishing months quickly close the window of time during which a young child can grasp the foundations of language, with it often closing before the appeals, court arguments and battles have concluded.

Make sure this does not happen to your child. If you have decided that a cochlear implant is best for your son or daughter, I want you to do two things:

#1 - Start the insurance approval process immediately. Don't wait. Don't assume. Request a copy of what is covered by your policy. Politely demand that your chosen surgeon or audiology team contact your insurance company right away for approval.

#2 - If you are having difficulty, contact the Let Them Hear Foundation. They help families battle insurance companies that deny cochlear implants (or a second implant) to those who need them. Perhaps you should contact them even if you don't foresee trouble, just to take advantage of their educational resources.

We are going to send our approval letter and explanation of benefits to the Let Them Hear Foundation so they can demonstrate to the other insurance companies that bilateral, simultaneous cochlear implants are being covered. I hope that in this way we will be able to help others "Turn on their ears".

Changes to Early Intervention

The Secretary of Education is proposing regulatory changes to the Early Intervention programs that service babies and toddlers with disabilities as a result of changes in 2004 to the Americans with Disablities Act. We all have an opportunity to comment on changes we would like. You can make comments until July 23rd.

The Technology of the Future?

I am so thankful for cochlear implants! They are already giving Drew the ability to hear things he couldn't just a few days ago. But that doesn't mean that I don't feel sad sometimes that Drew is going to wear these the remainder of his life. Except at night. (What if there is a fire?) Except at the pool. (How am I going to tell him to stop splashing his sister?) And, oh how I already dread the other kids making fun of the fact that he looks different while on recess.

Or maybe he won't have to wear these the rest of his life? Check out this article.

Drew Can Hear!

We're seeing new signs each day that Drew really is able to hear. We turned Drew up to P3 (his third program, meaning the loudest yet) and he responded to Daddy's voice! It was truly amazing, and had we not been worried that it startled Drew, we may have cried ourselves!

We are testing Drew to see what he can hear all the time! He was looking away from Daddy during breakfast this morning and turned toward the knocking sound Daddy made on the kitchen table. Amazing! Only a few days ago he would not have responded. And to think that we take our hearing for granted.

Here are a few pictures of Drew:

Activation Day...Waiting for his appointment.

Our little bionic boy. This picture also shows the pockets that have been sewn on Drew's clothing to hold his Body Worn Processors. (I hope you can see it). I love the little pockets. It is so easy to access his processors to make sure they are working correctly, plus they are quite stylish. Just wait until you see his Spiderman pockets! Drew is a cool little boy.