Tinnitus and Insurance

Hi folk's. I have a question that I hope I can get a few responses on. I have UCARE for my insurance company. I recently called a hearing wellness center in the area to set up an appointment. The lady I talked to said the only thing UCARE will cover in regard to T is one hearing test and nothing else so I didn't make the appointment. I'm not trying to be nosy about anyone's health insurance but does your insurance cover stuff in regard to T? Like ear masking devices, hearing aids, other treatments? Please throw a few responses my way. We're here to help each other. Thanks in advance........ Rich

 

Hi @Richard Wallace: I have a Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO. My insurance covered the initial tests needed for a diagnosis... hearing test, CT scan, diagnostic consultations with three ENTs and inner ear specialists. After that, it covered nothing. No maskers, no Neuromonics, no custom ear plugs, no cognitive behavioral therapy. I spent more than 10 percent of my income on out-of-pocket medical expenses in 2013, which qualified me (for the first time ever) for a medical income tax break.

 

Insurance doesn't cover much. I've had good insurance for the duration of this, and have none the less spent some thousands out of pocket on various things. The less conventional something is, the less likely it is to be covered.

 

Mine covered CT scans and MRI's. Those are the most costly by far. As far as maskers and hearing aids for me it would have been out of pocket. I think hearing aids for the majority are out of pocket but really don't know for sure.

 

Like LadyDi, I have Blue Cross and mine covers pretty much the same thing hers does.

My suggestion is to try to circumvent the traditional tinnitus treatments. What I mean is try to work with your ENT as much as possible in getting the info you need such as the audiogram, the ear examination, the possible MRI and CT scan. Since tinnitus can be caused by multiple reasons, these should count as a legit investigation in finding out whether you have anything considered serious. In other words, any insurance company worth keeping should cover these types of things.

Assuming, like with most people, nothing unusual is found, then I would look into whether or not your insurance would cover counseling and find a counselor who specializes in CBT and health-related problems. For example, my therapist specialized in chronic pain patients and he does CBT counseling, and he was able to apply a lot of that type of counseling on me, and it worked for me.

 

Hi, thank you to those who responded to my post. It's good to get as much information as possible about anything to do with taking on T. God Bless................. Rich

 

@Richard Wallace -

My suggestion would be to do whatever has the highest probability of achieving meaningful lasting relief. I'm not talking about a cure here; what I am talking about is reaching the point where your tinnitus is no longer a significant issue in your life. And since you live in Minnesota, you are very fortunate in that regard. Make an appointment to see Dr. Paula Schwartz in Edina ... and after she evaluates you, do what she recommends. Sure, it might not be covered by your insurance - but in the long run you will save yourself a lot of money, a lot of time, and a lot of misery.

stephen nagler

 

Hello Dr. Nagler, thanks for the name and location of this doctor. Rich

 

That's wonderful, Rich. You will not regret your decision, I assure you.

If more folks would take my suggestions to heart instead of fighting and arguing with me all the time, this board would be getting smaller and smaller instead of larger and larger.

stephen nagler