Butch Femme Planet - View Single Post

DamonK · 06-07-2012, 04:57 PM

When I worked for the state of Texas, their insurance paid $500 towards hearing aids. $500! What if I'd bought 2? Still just $500. And I'd have all the paperwork, etc.

I buy mine out of pocket. I buy my batteries out of pocket. I really don't care if any insurance covers my batteries because I'm not going to keep receipts, etc for a year to give to the insurance company so they can argue with me.

I can expect 1 battery to last... usually 2-3 weeks, but for simplicity, let's say a week.

An 8 pack usually costs about $8. So, let's say $1 a battery.

I'm gonna pay about $52 a year on batteries.
I'm gonna pay XXXX amount every few years on maintenance.

Let's assume the average person gets a BTE (since those are my "specialty") every 10 years at $5000. That person starts at 5 years old, and ends at 90.

That estimate is based off MY personal situation.

So, 90/10=9. 9x5000=45000
52x90=4680

***This is an extreme overestimate***

It's not cheap. It's going to get more expensive.

I get to pay for ALL this, maintenance, insurance to cover aforementioned hearing aid.

Surgery = cheaper in long run. But, you don't know it will work. And there aren't any "take backs" once you have the surgery. If they're wrong, they're wrong.

A couple of years ago, I got a nasty ear infection. I can't do any of this simply. I don't get to go to general doctors. I get to go to specialists. So, I'm at the ENT's office and this nice PA is trying to convince me to let the ENT repair the hole in my ear drum.

Me: Why?
PA: It can be fixed.
Me: They said that before. And every time it busted again.
PA: You might could hear.
Me: I don't feel good. Let's talk about it next time with the ENT.
PA: Ok.

Understand I basically got a suction device stuck in my ear and sucked the infection out. It's not pleasant and many times quite painful.

I set up the next ENT appointment to coincide with my mom's visit. You know, she knows my entire history by heart. I'm not gonna remember all that stuff.

ENT: I think with repairing the ear drum and a BTE, you could hear.
Me: Really, now?
ENT: Yes.
Me: What are my chances?
ENT: What do you mean?
Me: If I let you do this, what are my chances of being able to hear? What are the chances of the ear drum blowing again?
ENT: I can't answer if it will bust again.
Me: What about the hearing?
ENT: With training, maybe a 70% chance.

Now, I'm gonna be 30 next month. I've only had one ear for 20 years.

I'm also a CNA. That means intense physical work. After surgery, about 2-3 hours, I would be on a 10 lb restriction for 6-8 weeks.

Then, I'd get to buy another BTE.

For a maybe....a BIG maybe.

Sometimes, the chance to hear, isn't worth the price you end up paying.

06-07-2012, 04:57 PM	#1
DamonK Senior Member How Do You Identify?: . Preferred Pronoun?: . Relationship Status: . Join Date: May 2010 Location: . Posts: 2,199 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 1,527 Thanked 7,762 Times in 1,881 Posts Rep Power: 21474854	When I worked for the state of Texas, their insurance paid $500 towards hearing aids. $500! What if I'd bought 2? Still just $500. And I'd have all the paperwork, etc. I buy mine out of pocket. I buy my batteries out of pocket. I really don't care if any insurance covers my batteries because I'm not going to keep receipts, etc for a year to give to the insurance company so they can argue with me. I can expect 1 battery to last... usually 2-3 weeks, but for simplicity, let's say a week. An 8 pack usually costs about $8. So, let's say $1 a battery. I'm gonna pay about $52 a year on batteries. I'm gonna pay XXXX amount every few years on maintenance. Let's assume the average person gets a BTE (since those are my "specialty") every 10 years at $5000. That person starts at 5 years old, and ends at 90. That estimate is based off MY personal situation. So, 90/10=9. 9x5000=45000 52x90=4680 *This is an extreme overestimate* It's not cheap. It's going to get more expensive. I get to pay for ALL this, maintenance, insurance to cover aforementioned hearing aid. Surgery = cheaper in long run. But, you don't know it will work. And there aren't any "take backs" once you have the surgery. If they're wrong, they're wrong. A couple of years ago, I got a nasty ear infection. I can't do any of this simply. I don't get to go to general doctors. I get to go to specialists. So, I'm at the ENT's office and this nice PA is trying to convince me to let the ENT repair the hole in my ear drum. Me: Why? PA: It can be fixed. Me: They said that before. And every time it busted again. PA: You might could hear. Me: I don't feel good. Let's talk about it next time with the ENT. PA: Ok. Understand I basically got a suction device stuck in my ear and sucked the infection out. It's not pleasant and many times quite painful. I set up the next ENT appointment to coincide with my mom's visit. You know, she knows my entire history by heart. I'm not gonna remember all that stuff. ENT: I think with repairing the ear drum and a BTE, you could hear. Me: Really, now? ENT: Yes. Me: What are my chances? ENT: What do you mean? Me: If I let you do this, what are my chances of being able to hear? What are the chances of the ear drum blowing again? ENT: I can't answer if it will bust again. Me: What about the hearing? ENT: With training, maybe a 70% chance. Now, I'm gonna be 30 next month. I've only had one ear for 20 years. I'm also a CNA. That means intense physical work. After surgery, about 2-3 hours, I would be on a 10 lb restriction for 6-8 weeks. Then, I'd get to buy another BTE. For a maybe....a BIG maybe. Sometimes, the chance to hear, isn't worth the price you end up paying.