Hearing should be a right not a privilege

This is perhaps the most emotional and inspiring video I have ever seen. To me, it showcases the power of good hearing for those of us who lack it. It also makes me so grateful to live in a time when people like her and I can benefit from technological advances in audiology. But, most importantly, it is proof to me that hearing is a right, not a privilege. Not every deaf person wants to become a hearing person. Deaf culture is alive and well. While I myself am not a member of the Deaf community, I got a taste of the pride that community has while taking an ASL class in college. For those who do want to hear though, hearing MUST be a right NOT a privilege. It's widely accepted that every American who has problems with their vision has the right to get the medical care and equipment necessary to see clearly. Why does the same not hold true for the hearing impaired?

Not long ago, when I discovered my hearing loss had progressed, that I was badly under-aided and I needed new hearing equipment, I learned my insurance would not pick up any portion of the tab for my aids. I was furious at the news. I remembered my parents telling me when I was younger that they had to pay out-of-pocket for my BTE (behind-the-ear). Later, I also remember that a new insurance plan my parents had acquired in my teens DID cover aids. That policy allowed me to get my first pricey ITE (in-the-ear). As a youngster, I didn't consider the lack of insurance coverage of hearing equipment an injustice. I didn't fully grasp the expense or how insurance coverage or lack thereof impacted my family. I was fortunate that circumstances allowed me to have the best technology and care.

At 27 years old, though, I needed two new aids (and power aids at that) for the first time in my adult life. I felt so ostracized by "the system." One of the many reasons why I feel blessed for my short stint in audiology school: they pointed me in the direction of the Vocational Rehabilitation program. At first, the idea of asking the state to subsidize my hearing equipment made me incredibly uncomfortable. It took months of struggling with the idea, while reluctantly filling out the paperwork and going to the necessary meetings, before I realized that it was my right to ask for help. If my insurance company was failing me, it was my right to seek other ways to cover the cost of my $6,000 aids. The Voc Rehab program recognized that, too, and that the aids were my tools to gain and retain employment. After approval, it was discovered that Cigna, my insurance company, had recently altered their coverage for hearing aids. Now, they were covering $2,500 in hearing equipment annually! It was a heartening, small step in the right direction. Voc Rehab picked up the remainder of my bill and after months of bureaucracy, I was fit with my Phonak Exelias. The elation I experienced that first day with MY new aids (I had been loaned others, off and on, while waiting for the ones I now call my own) parallels Sarah Churman's in the above video.

In Sarah Churman's case, her implant cost $30,000 just for one ear. She went on Ellen eight days after the above video was shot to tell her story. Her insurance company didn't cover her procedure at all. Her mother-in-law, realizing how important hearing was to Sarah and her young family, selflessly cashed in her retirement fund and paid for Sarah's procedure. Ellen DeGeneres, who I adore, recognized the awful injustice--that a woman could essentially be priced out of a basic right--and worked out an amazing solution to the Churmans' financial situation. She got the company who makes Sarah's implant to agree to reimburse Sarah the $30,000 for her first implant and gave Sarah an additional $30,000 so she could have the procedure done on the other ear. It was a remarkable act of kindness. It also highlighted the growing understanding within the hearing community of the need for change. It gives me hope that one day aids, cochlear implants and medical procedures aimed at restoring one's hearing will no longer be viewed as vanity items but truly medically necessary tools to restore the right to hear to anyone who seeks it. Go Ellen and go Sarah!

Here's the segment on Ellen. Warning: Grab a hanky before viewing!
A Deaf Woman Who Can Finally Hear Meets Ellen