Hearing aids for children are a lifeline, but Texas insurance doesn’t cover them
Sometimes I sit alone in my home, when everyone else is gone and the dog is asleep. My arms reach out as far as they can and I rub my thumb and index finger back and forth. I test myself: Can I hear anything?
Sure, I look like a crazy person, but like I said, it’s just me and the dog.
I do this to imagine what my daughter’s life is like. Three years ago, she was born with hearing loss. Since then, my wife, Stephanie, and I have fretted about just how much she can hear, if “It” — capital “I,” pregnant pause — is getting worse and how that impacts our daughter.
While I sit there perfectly still, the low hum of the air conditioner turns
on, and I hear the rumble of a UPS truck coming down the street. Modern people may crave peace and quiet, but that little bit of noise is valuable information: I need to call the AC guy for a tune-up and I’m about to get a new pair of shoes.
Heard but unseen information is even more important at work (an announcement from a co-worker down the hall; a whispered comment in a big meeting).
Of course, it is most paramount at school. In a blink of an eye, our daughter will enter kindergarten, and we expect her to be the most amazing student ever. Inevitably, the teacher will say something softly in story time or not be directly in front of her. Will she fall behind? Will that stop her from getting into college? Will that stop her from fulfilling her dreams?
The concerns go from zero to 60 pretty fast for us. Like all parents, we want the best future for our child.
We learned that there might be an issue when, in the hospital, Iris failed her newborn hearing screening. In 1999, Texas was an early adopter of the newborn hearing screening test. The state recognized that early detection of hearing loss is vital. Kids who are hard of hearing fall behind in school, require more special education, have higher rates of depression, dementia, drop out of high school at more than twice the national average, and on and on. Early intervention is crucial.
The initial weeks and days of having a baby are filled with sleeplessness, overwhelming happiness, sometimes depression, visits from family and friends, piercing cries and thousands of diaper changes. For these reasons — and the fact that nothing is visibly an issue — a majority of families never return for this critical second appointment.
But my wife is incredibly proactive. At a follow-up test, we received confirmation that the screening’s results weren’t an error or amniotic fluid stuck in Iris’ ear canals: The loss was permanent and in both ears.
Stephanie stepped into high gear. At 5 weeks old, Iris had her first speechtherapy appointment; she was one of the youngest patients the therapist had seen. At 6 weeks old, she received a loaner pair of hearing aids from the Center for Hearing and Speech. She was one of the youngest patients they’d ever fitted.
We were fortunate: The loaners were funded by a grant.
Shockingly, Texas doesn’t require insurance companies to cover hearing aids. Most carriers consider them “cosmetic” or “elective.”
Children’s hearing aids can be a huge financial burden on young families: They cost up to $6,000 per pair and must be replaced every three to five years. Currently, only one insurance plan in Texas covers hearing aids, and that one, only up to $1,000 per ear.
I wonder: How many hearing children choose to wear hearing aids because of style?
And what parent would consider a hearing aid a fun little splurge? Great gift!
The truth is this: Hearing aids are Iris’ lifeline to the world. And because of the financial burden, too many other Texas children go without them.
The combination of amplification and early intervention is serving Iris well. Recently, right after her third birthday, she tested as having the expressive language skills of a 4.7-year-old. That’s a 4.7-year-old hearing child.
We’re proud of her. We’re happy. But we’re also angry.
Similar outcomes could, and should, be possible for every child with hearing loss — and would be, if not for the prohibitive cost of hearing aids.
Our state and legislators have an opportunity to fix this problem this year by passing Senate Bill 552 and House Bill 490. These bills would finally require insurance companies to cover hearing aids and cochlear implants for kids.
In the past two legislatures, similar bills didn’t get very far. This time, the only opposition seems to be from the Texas Association of Business, a powerful lobby that has the ear (so to speak) of many lawmakers.
The Texas Association of Business’ opposition is puzzling to us: It seems inconsistent with the group’s other positions. For instance, the association supports increasing choice of health care plans, so that consumers are able to choose plans that maximize benefits.
The group also supports education that “mov[es] students from minimum expectations to maximum achievement.” Additionally, they want to keep taxes low. By providing hearing aids, Texas would not only enable each child’s success but could save up to $420,000 per student in specialeducation costs.
So on what basis does the Texas Association of Business oppose the legislation? It has a blanket policy to oppose all mandates that raise premium prices.
How much would your premiums go up if this were to go through?
About $3. Per year. Can you spare some change?
I’m not an economist, but the cost-benefit analysis for Texans seems plain.
It’s time to let all Texans hear. Even the littlest ones.