BAHA warranty

[Sam Rush]

It's a stand alone policy,  I got it from agent's office.

[lori67]

Some companies let you add a personal articles rider to your policy - I have Travelers and I had to get a separate policy - it's $146 a year for $5000 coverage and it covers loss and breakage.

[leapyrtwins]

Thanks for the info Sam & Lori 

[Jim Scott]

Jan ~

FWIT - We have riders on our homeowners policy (at an extra charge) that cover jewelry (came in handy when I accidentally washed Tina's diamond earrings down the drain) as well as a valuable painting we own.  Every company has different rules and exceptions as well as prices.  One hint: always get 'replacement value', not 'stated value'.  It's a better deal, especially when the value of items like a BAHA rise over time, as most things do.  Definitely worth a call to your agent. 

Jim

[JB914]

so, the baha is covered by insurance, but, if the processor croaks after warranty you are responsible for paying?  what if a coclear implant fails?  are you responsible for that too?  how is the 'processor' seperated from the BAHA? is the BAHA is the implant and processor?

My wife did medical billing, auditing and worked for a hospital and IPA for years. she thinks that if the insurance covers it and it croaks they should replace it too.

[leapyrtwins]

JB -

the best way I can describe the BAHA is that it's not really "all-inclusive".  By that I mean, there's the part that's implanted into your skull (permanent fixture) and the part that's not.

The part that's not (the processor, which is a tiny hearing aid) is removable.  You rock it on and snap it off the piece that is in your skull.

I never really gave any thought to what you're asking, which basically is why doesn't the insurance company who paid for the original surgery and processor pay for replacements when the processor becomes damaged.  Good question. 

I don't really know the answer.  My inclination is that the processor is a detachable part, not a permanent fixture so that makes it different.  But I could be wrong.

Someone who has a BAHA (maybe Wendy?) mentioned that her medical insurance will pay for replacement processors , but I think that's something that is specifically spelled out in her policy.

Jim -

thanks for the tip on replacement vs stated value.  Something I'll definitely have to remember.

Jan

[JB914]

if someones coclear implant fails do they have to pay to have it fixed? or does insurance pay for that?   

i think there is a logical argument to be made that insurnance should pay for a processor that fails or wears out.

IMHO if your processor falls off and you run over it with your lawnmower or something, well, that should be on your own dime! 

just passing on the opinion of my wife the medical billing/auditing expert.  she feels a good case can be made to have them pay for it based on her auditing / billing experience.    I trust her, she got my IPA to setup a one time contract with House Ear 9 years ago when they wanted to send me somewhere else. 

[lori67]

I'm not sure if I'm answering the question you have or not, but the additional insurance I purchased for my processor covers loss or damage, including running it over with a lawnmower (as long as I don't do it intentionally!).  There were a few exclusions, but they were things like nuclear war, a plane crash, train derailment, etc...odd things.  It's basically covered like traditional hearing aids, engagement rings, diamond earrings that get washed down the drain  , or anything of value that you want to make sure is covered for it's full value and not just what the insurance company decides at the time off a loss.

The implanted part itself should be covered by medical insurance - if it needs to be replaced or removed, I would imagine your medical insurance would cover that, especially if they paid for you to have it put in in the first place.  It's probably not an issue much, because all it is is a titanium screw with no moving parts, so it's not prone to breakage.  A Cochlear implant is a different story, and they actually do fail - in which case, the implanted part is probably covered by medical insurance and the external part would probably need to be covered on a separate personal articles policy, much like the regular hearing aids.

Lori

[JB914]

Hi Lori,

not really a question, more just a comment.

[lori67]

Phew.... pressure's off then!   

Lori

[Joef]

if someones coclear implant fails do they have to pay to have it fixed? or does insurance pay for that?   

i think there is a logical argument to be made that insurnance should pay for a processor that fails or wears out.

IMHO if your processor falls off and you run over it with your lawnmower or something, well, that should be on your own dime! 

just passing on the opinion of my wife the medical billing/auditing expert.  she feels a good case can be made to have them pay for it based on her auditing / billing experience.    I trust her, she got my IPA to setup a one time contract with House Ear 9 years ago when they wanted to send me somewhere else. 

I would agree to a point ...

if your SSD .. you dont need the BAHA on all the time (and your should not be wearing outside doing yard chores) ... but if you totaly deaf without em .. your wearing it 24/7 and you are wearing it whille cutting the grass ...
 

[wendysig]

JB,

As Jan said whether your insurance company will pay for a replacement processor may be spelled out in your policy.  My insurance carrier(AETNA) will pay to replace my processor every five yerars.  I plan to take advantage of that when the time comes.

Wendy