BAHA if not totally deaf in the ear?

[Nancy T]

Hi folks. I don't have an AN but do have a severe-to-profound unilateral hearing loss in the higher frequencies. I've previously asked a few BAHA questions here because I'm considering getting one (if my insurance ever pays for it).

The first neurotologist I asked about it (last summer) said yes, I could get one.

I recently saw another neurotologist (whom I'd seen six years ago for dizziness and hearing loss) and got a new hearing test. My hearing hasn't changed significantly and my good ear is still perfect.

But when I mentioned the BAHA, the audiologist said I wouldn't qualify for one because I'm not totally deaf in my left ear (although my speech discrimination is something like 25 percent, bad).

I'm wondering if anyone here has gotten a BAHA who is not totally deaf in the bad ear? Or do you know of any hearing-loss forum where there are a lot of other unilaterally hearing-impaired people but not necessarily totally deaf in one ear?

I'm going to ask the neurotologist I'm seeing now whether HE thinks I could get a BAHA. I haven't heard another peep from the first one, although I'm supposedly on their waiting list and will be informed if my insurance comes around and starts paying for it.

Nancy T.

[Raydean]

Nancy

I'm not sure, but i think alot depends on the results of your hearing test.  For the BAHA to work at it's best a person must fall in a certain range of loss.  My husband checked into it but it's questionable if it would meet basic expectations due to the range of his lose ( lost high pitch tones).
A good audiologist ( sorry it's early and no coffee and I can't seem to spell today) and I don't mean the ones you find at the mall should be able to help you determine what would work best for you.
The BAHA also has a head set that a person can borrow and live with a few days to see how well it might function for you. 

A few months back the BAHA received coverage under Medicare.  Hopefully other insurance companies will follow and provide coverage.

best to you
Raydean

[Battyp]

Hi Nancy,
  I was told I wasn't a candidate but was never given a clear reason why I wasn't.  I do know that I got a flyer from the University of Miami telling me they were having a seminar on baha and offeringa  free trial to see if it would work.  Too far for my to drive but my thought is if they are doing that suregly there are other places you can do the same thing.

Also, if you need a hearing apparatus in order to maintain employment Vocational Rehab will pay for it.  You just need to apply and go through intake.  My insurance (blue cross) will not pay for any type of hearing aid. (

[Nancy T]

Hi Raydean and battyprincess, thanks for the replies!

My right ear has perfect hearing, which I know is necessary to have a BAHA. The left ear has a loss of about 75-110 db above 500 Hz.

Actually, I ended up talking to the neurotologist (the "old" one that I saw years ago) about a BAHA today, and he said YES, I would be a candidate for one.

AND, in fact, he is going to write my insurance (Blue Cross) a letter of appeal. I am pretty sure that the other doctor's office never actually did that. (Perhaps they had good reasons, but since I haven't heard anything from them, I will take the help if this doctor can succeed in getting the insurance to pay for it.)

An interesting thing he said (when I mentioned that I knew the BAHA did not provide directional hearing) is that they have found that because the sound coming through the BAHA system is a bit different from what you hear directly in your good ear, some (?) people actually learn to tell which side the sound is coming from.

So, I was pleased that he is willing to try to get approval for me. It would SO neat to have better hearing. Everyday life is OK, but at work it's a real bother--I can't hear library patrons or staff on my left side without turning my head and making them repeat themselves. (My employment does not depend on having bilateral hearing, so I doubt any agency would pay for it.)

Nancy T.
P.S. My left-ear speech discrimination test today was quite amusing. All my responses were, as usual, wild guesses or shrugs of the shoulders. For one of the words, the only thing I could think of was "p?mp" (imagine an "i" there)--"although," I told the audiologist, "I'm sure that's not right!" I must have been associating one of my previous wild guesses--"Nick," my college-age son's name--with a stupid slogan on a T-shirt he wears. Anyway, afterwards I asked the audiologist what that word really was--it was "cute"!! How bizarre the associations the brain makes and what the ear hears when it can't hear properly. I have done a lot of double-takes at people when I misheard them--"WHAT did you say?? That sounded like...." But it's good for a laugh. Certainly I made the audiologist's morning!

[Raydean]

Within this past year Medicare began covering the BAHA so I'm very hopeful that your insurance will cover it too.  often times isurances will follow Medicare's lead.  This is so exciting!!!!  Please keep us informed  I'm really happy for you.

Raydean

[Joef]

If you have any more questions look at:

http://www.baha-users-support.com/cgi-bin/2bb/2bb.cgi

I am deaf in my BAHA/AN ear, but if you dont have total lost of your hearing it would still help! ... its just a matter of getting
your insurance to think so ... and you should be able to try it out with a test band, to see if you like it...

[Nancy T]

Thanks for the link, Joef--I remember posting on that site a long time ago, but it's different now. I'll check in there again! Thanks!

And thanks for the encouragement, Raydean!