SHHH Convention: Teamwork for Hearing Health Services

by Cheryl Heppner

Editor: Here's this week's installment in our continuing coverage of the 2004 SHHH Convention. Enjoy!

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Rocky Stone, founder of SHHH in 1979 and first Executive Director until 1992, has had an active 'retirement'. He's served as president of the International Federation of Hard of Hearing People and a Board member of the Cochlear Implant Club International. His workshop gave an introduction to his newest project: Teamwork for Hearing Health Services, a coalition of major hearing health service providers and their allies.

By Cheryl Heppner

Rocky became interested in cochlear implants because of his hearing loss and blindness. He says "the cochlear implant saved my life" and this is his motivation for wanting the cochlear implant industry to be healthy.

At one time the cochlear implant manufacturers were attacking each other. Rocky said that this only makes consumers more suspicious of cochlear implants in general. For years companies that manufactured hearing aids were doing the same thing. He talked to the industry about this, and after September 11, 2001 there was a wave of cooperation in the country.

Teamwork was formed to bring together major hearing health providers and manufacturers. It includes representatives of the three manufacturers of cochlear implants on the Board of Trustees. Among others involved are the International Hearing Society and Veterans Administration. Several individuals were appointed "to keep things honest" rather than representing an interest: Donna Winger, audiologist Dr. Robert Shannon, Pat Tomlinson for knowledge of the rehabilitation field.

Teamwork met in 2002 in Philadelphia. The American Academy of Audiology and International Hearing Society don't like to appear together due to a disagreement on education of hearing aid specialists vs. audiologists. Despite its refusal to join Teamwork, the American Academy of Audiology has sent representatives to every meeting. The Teamwork coalition avoids some issues like accreditation because they are too divisive.

Teamwork's first project was to work on cochlear implant reimbursement. This was a way to build a team, because cochlear implants benefit doctors, speech pathologists, and audiologists. The hearing aid industry also gave it support because there is a growing awareness that cochlear implants combined with hearing aids are helping consumers.

Consumer organizations have formed the nucleus of Teamwork. They include SHHH, AG Bell, ALDA and NAD.

When Teamwork gathered lobbyists to combat the Medicare plan to roll back the reimbursement for cochlear implantation, the American Academy of Audiology signed on with the International Hearing Society. Everyone got together to talk strategy and all major organizations also signed on. A letter was sent from the consumer point of view. The three cochlear implant companies worked together, visited CMS and educated them on what it costs to make a cochlear implant. They also told them that hospitals were losing $10,000 per procedure and as a result many hospitals were no longer providing cochlear implants.

Reimbursement increased slightly last year but hospitals are still losing money on this procedure.

Rocky thinks that a small effort in a big game can be successful over time. He said that he won't be around to see it successful but he is planting the seeds. He soon will bow out, but he has someone in mind to take his place.

Rocky has proposed presenting to the American Academy of Audiology next year on the subject of cochlear implants and hearing aids.

The core organizations have already discussed doing something with assistive devices and hearing aids. Teamwork needs to go to Congress on the whole issue of hearing aids. It's frustrating because each time Congress adjourns, those behind efforts to get coverage of hearing aids have to start all over again getting sponsors.

Medicare has a new program for mediation but they do not publicize it. You only learn about it if you complain to a doctor or whoever is paying the bill. At that point they are supposed to tell you about the mediation option. But if you look on the back of the Medicare form, the area where they tell you how much is paid has a section where you can appeal. It will go to a state agency which is supposed to call you and follow up.

Rocky suggests making some waves, saying that you need hearing assistance and seeing what happens.

SHHH had a lot to do with the creation of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). The organization was responsible for the largest number of comments during the comment period. Thirteen members of SHHH went to Congress, sat and stared at the members of Congress during the mark-up session. Senators Orrin Hatch and Ted Kennedy came down to see them afterwards, shook hands with them and said they had passed a bill they never thought would be passed.

Q: Have you thought about educating doctors and audiologists before they graduate and begin practicing? A; Rocky worked with graduate students at the University of Iowa and it was very beneficial. If we could penetrate that group all over the country, it would be very helpful.