Cochlear Americas Announces Medicare Coverage for Baha Hearing System.DENVER -- Cochlear cochlear pertaining to or emanating from the cochlea. cochlear duct the coiled portion of the membranous labyrinth located inside the cochlea; contains endolymph. cochlear nerve see Table 14. Americas has announced that the Baha(R) system, an osseointegrated auditory implant system, is now covered by Medicare under a new policy issued by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), previously known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that administers the Medicare program and (CMS (1) See content management system and color management system. (2) (Conversational Monitor System) Software that provides interactive communications for IBM's VM operating system. ). FDA-cleared since 1996 and consisting of a mastoid mastoid /mas·toid/ (mas´toid) 1. breast-shaped. 2. mastoid process. 3. pertaining to the mastoid process. mas·toid n. The mastoid process. implant and detachable sound processor, the Baha system was previously classified as a hearing aid by Medicare and, therefore, not covered not covered Health care adjective Referring to a procedure, test or other health service to which a policy holder or insurance beneficiary is not entitled under the terms of the policy or payment system–eg, Medicare. Cf Covered. . However, last month, CMS revised its definition of "hearing aids" and initiated coverage for the system, which became effective November 10. Today is the first day that Medicare carriers are able to accept and pay claims under this policy. The Baha system provides a safe and effective hearing treatment option for individuals suffering from conductive or mixed hearing loss, as well as Single Sided Deafness (SSD See solid state disk. ). It is the only treatment for hearing loss that works through direct bone conduction, allowing sound to bypass the outer and middle ear to reach the cochlea cochlea (kŏk`lēə): see ear. directly. "The Baha system, based on direct bone conduction, provides FDA-cleared treatment for a variety of specific types of hearing loss that many times do not have another option," according to John K. Niparko, M.D., director of the Divisions of Neurotology and Audiology audiology /au·di·ol·o·gy/ (aw?de-ol´ah-je) the study of impaired hearing that cannot be improved by medication or surgical therapy. au·di·ol·o·gy n. at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, located in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, is a highly regarded medical school and biomedical research institute in the United States. . "The Baha system allows sound to be received directly by the cochlea through direct bone conduction, so this treatment fundamentally changes the way individuals hear with specific types of hearing loss. The decision by CMS to cover it will change lives." "The decision by CMS to revise its definition of 'hearing aids,' and exclude implantable devices such as the Baha system, is monumental," said Chris Smith, president, Cochlear Americas. "This policy revision breathes new hope into the lives of so many living with a hearing loss that the Baha can treat." About the Baha(R) System The Baha sound processor is placed on the deaf ear side behind the ear, and transfers sound through direct bone conduction. Cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for unilateral and bilateral fittings for conductive or mixed hearing loss, and for Single Sided Deafness, this product ultimately results in the sensation of hearing sound from the deaf side. Currently there are more than 25,000 people using the Baha system worldwide. About Cochlear(TM) Americas Since launching the world's first cochlear implant system more than 20 years ago and adding the Baha system to its product offerings in 2005, Cochlear Limited and its US headquarters, Cochlear Americas, have brought the miracle of sound to more than 90,000 hearing-impaired individuals across the globe. Cochlear's state-of-the-art technologies, based on extensive research and development at preeminent academic institutions, enhance the ability to hear sound and understand speech -- improving both learning potential and quality of life for those with severe to profound hearing loss. Cochlear's promise "Hear Now. And Always." reflects its dedication to durability and service. For more information about Cochlear's products, including the Baha system and the Nucleus cochlear implant system, call 800.523.5798 or visit www.cochlear.com. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion