Written by: Dennis S. “For a star to be born, there is one thing that must happen: a gaseous nebula must collapse. So collapse. Crumble. This is not your destruction. This is your birth.” — Zoe Skylar This quote is one that I recently found, but it describes how my adult life has gone, minus … Continued
Some examples of parts and accessories that are generally covered by insurance are cables, coils, magnets, and rechargeable batteries. To verify medical necessity, we will request a letter or certificate of medical necessity from your clinician. This documentation typically includes the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System codes (HCPCS codes) that apply to the specific … Continued
Determine Your Payment Options Flex Spending Account (FSA): An FSA is a pre-tax savings account for out of pocket medical costs. You may establish an FSA during your employer’s insurance open enrollment period, if available. FSA funds can only be used for the portion of the cost not covered by insurance, and the funds do … Continued
Written by: Katie S. I was not born with my hearing loss; it is the product of a “series of unfortunate events” as I like to call it. These events ultimately led to the loss of most of my natural hearing capability in my left ear as an eleven year old. After five years of … Continued
Cochlear implants While health plans have their own definitions of medical necessity, cochlear implants are recognized as standard treatment for severe-to-profound deafness and most insurance companies cover them. In 2004, Medicare, Medicaid, the Veteran’s Administration and other public health care plans covered cochlear implants. In 2004, more than 90 percent of all commercial health plans … Continued
Written by: Angel V. Each year as we prepare to return to school, the feelings of fear and worry do not go away. Every year I have the same questions: has the teacher ever taught a child with cochlear implants? Will the teachers know what to do if something goes wrong with her equipment? In … Continued
For Kathleen Myers, music is her soul and she could never imagine a world without it. ‘It’s a big part of who I am,’ says the mother of three from New Mexico. But despite taking active steps for years to connect with music, her experience has been limited to two genres – traditional rock’n’roll … Continued
It says, teaching a child to swim is an investment in a child’s safety, physical and emotional well-being. For grownups, swimming is a great workout. It builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. However, people and caregivers who are conscientious about protecting their sound processor investment may be leery about getting wet. But there’s no … Continued
Our volunteers truly embrace and embody Cochlear’s mission. They empower others by instilling confidence to advance their hearing experience. In addition, our volunteers transform lives by spreading awareness about hearing loss and by changing the perception of how hearing devices can impact one’s life. Our volunteers similarly find innovative ways to connect with others and … Continued
What is an MRI? Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a diagnostic technique used to obtain images of organs and tissues by means of a very powerful magnetic field measured in tesla (T). MRI scans can range in strength from 0.2 T to 7.0 T, with 1.5 T being the most common. Safety considerations for medical … Continued
Music is everywhere in the world. It enriches our lives and accompanies our rituals – from birthdays to weddings and beyond. But for many cochlear implant recipients, whether you’re trying to experience music for the first time or reconnecting with it, enjoying music can often require time and effort. For Richard Reed, a … Continued
In 2018, fifth generation Bluetooth® wireless streaming was native in the world’s leading smart phones and Bluetooth headsets were the most popular wearable device in the world—providing a connection that lets the wearer tune in or tune out the world. It turns out, hearable wireless technology is a powerful equalizer. It increases the range, … Continued
Creating a community At the time of Ally’s birth, there wasn’t enough information available about options for children born with hearing loss. So, Melissa embarked on her mission to gather and share information about resources and options by establishing the Ear Community. During early childhood, hearing is critical to a child’s development and can impact … Continued
“It had done a good job. But it was starting to get tired. It had a lot of deterioration on the top of the exterior and the microphones didn’t seem to work as well. I wasn’t getting the full benefit anymore,” said Kris. When her Baha 3 Sound Processor hit five years old, Kris … Continued
The primary objective of cochlear implants is to optimize speech intelligibility. Given the emotional power of music, it’s no surprise that more than one cochlear implant recipient has said, I can understand speech with the sound processor, but music doesn’t sound as good as it used to. The issue is that music is a … Continued
Velda M. was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease after experiencing severe episodes of vertigo. Meniere’s disease is an inner ear disease that typically affects one ear and can cause pressure or pain in the ear, severe cases of dizziness or vertigo, hearing loss and a ringing or roaring noise, also known as tinnitus. Here is her story during … Continued
John B. knew his hearing had hit rock bottom when he misheard a question during a work presentation to about 250 coworkers about a big project. He still remembers the day just like it was yesterday. John was an expert lip reader, but after answering the question in great detail, he noticed the shocked faces … Continued
My name is Marty G., and at age 69, with a Nucleus® 7 Sound Processor in my right ear and a hearing aid in my left, I feel so fortunate to be able to hear even better than I did many years ago with two hearing aids. How my hearing loss began My hearing … Continued
Paying it forward When asked why she became a Cochlear volunteer, Suzy H., a Cochlear recipient and volunteer from Portland, OR responded, “I would like to pay it forward. Being available to help others who are feeling stuck or just starting out on their hearing journey can make a real difference. I think it is important … Continued
To help address this problem, Cochlear has developed “Bring Back the Beat”, a new learning app in the form of a game to help adults with Cochlear™ Nucleus® Implants to reconnect with the joy of music. Research shows that focused attention to music and listening practice improve appreciation of music. The interactive app brings to … Continued
Lisa and Ryan are the parents of three children born with hearing loss as a result of a genetic event called Connexin 26. This type of hearing loss is pre-lingual, occurring before the age of speech development. Today, Ella Marie age 9, and twin sisters Isabella and Sophia age 7, are all bilateral cochlear implant … Continued