| 01/18/2007 |
| Whitenights,
council push Grace's Law |
| By:
Rebecca Weltmann , Staff Writer |
|
Proposed legislation would require
health insurers to provide coverage for children who need hearing
aids.
Since his birth in August, Jake
Whitenight has had more than his share of medical
problems.
While he battles complications from
several birth defects, including hearing loss, his parents, Lynn and
Paul of South 21st Avenue, have joined the battle to change the law
to require health insurers to provide coverage for children who need
hearing aids.
In addition to problems with
kidneys and three holes in his heart, Jake was born with severe to
profound hearing loss due to a malformation of his ears. His left
ear is abnormally small. His right ear never formed. Multiple
surgeries and special hearing aids can give Jake the ability to
hear, his mother said.
The problem, however, is
the medical costs. Currently, there are no state or federal mandates
requiring the coverage of hearing aids by
insurers.
Jake's first set of hearing aids was
provided by early interventions. Each hearing aid he has now costs
approximately $4,800 each.
When he gets older,
he will have special devices implanted that the hearing aids will
attach to so he doesn't have to wear the special headband for the
rest of his life.
While the Whitenights have
insurance, nothing they have will cover the cost of the implants or
hearing aids.
"I was told that because it
wasn't a medical necessity, there wouldn't be coverage for the
hearing aids," Ms. Whitenight said. "They said hearing aids are
considered a cosmetic appliance. What an injustice to him to not be
able to experience things, or never hear me say I love him if he
couldn't hear. He would never know he could have a voice, never hear
his brothers call him. All these things just rush through your mind.
It's not something you can forget."
Families
like the Whitenights may soon have some help, though. A bill is
pending in the Legislature that would ease the burden of expensive
hearing aids for children. The bill, A-289, is called Grace's
Law.
At its reorganization meeting on Jan. 6,
the Manville Borough Council voted unanimously to approve a
resolution in support of the adoption of Grace's Law. Named for
Grace Gleba, a New Jersey girl with a severe hearing impairment, the
legislation would require hospitals, medical and health service
corporations, commercial insurers, health maintenance organizations,
health benefit plans issued pursuant to the NJ Individual Health
Coverage and Small Employer Health Benefits Program, the State
Health Benefits Program and NJ FamilyCare to provide coverage of
expenses for children 15 and younger.
Under the
bill, insurers would be required to cover a hearing aid for each
ear, when medically necessary, as prescribed by a licensed physician
or audiologist. The insurer would be permitted to limit the maximum
benefit to $1,000 per hearing aid for each impaired ear every 24
months.
The child's family can choose a hearing
aid priced higher than the maximum benefit if it pays the
difference.
"I really don't understand how
insurance companies can say this isn't a medical necessity," Mayor
Angelo Corradino said. "I don't see how it's a luxury or not a
necessity. It's up to us, as local officials, to bring this to the
Legislature's attention. I know they're busy in Trenton with
property taxes and a lot of other issues, but Grace's Law is
something that's a major issue."
Copies of the
resolution were forwarded to all municipalities in Somerset County
seeking their support, as well as to the members of the Assembly
Appropriations Committee. Although the agenda for the Committee has
not yet been released, Ms. Whitenight said if it appears at the
meeting today (Thursday), she would be willing to drop everything to
testify in favor of Grace's Law. She and her husband have three sons
in addition to Jake: Dylan, 6; Casey, 1; and Timothy, who will be 3
in March.
Ms. Whitenight said the most
difficult decisions she and her husband ever had to make was whether
to put Jake through multiple surgeries in order to help him
hear.
"Before Jake was even a month old, my
husband and I had to decide if his hearing was something we were
going to get fixed, or whether he was going to be a part of the deaf
community and learn how to sign," she said. "We decided that he is
going to learn how to speak, not sign.
"I spent
the first few months screaming at my baby because I want him to know
my voice," she said. "He's not going to be startled by me; he's
going to know I can talk and he's going to have the ability to
hear."
She added that Jake doesn't feel much
discomfort. Since his birth, two of the holes in his heart have
closed on their own. If the third hole does not close on its own, he
may require surgery. In addition to that, the problems in one of his
kidneys have resolved themselves. At this point, she added, she's
"just thankful some of the problems are going away on their
own."
Jake still has a long road ahead of him
for recovery. He has had no surgeries on his ears yet Ms. Whitenight
said she is depending on the pending legislation to help not only
her son, but other hearing impaired children in New Jersey
too.
"I don't see any reason why Grace's Law
shouldn't be passed," she said. "Jake is someone in our own backyard
in Manville that needs this legislation. How many others are out
there that would benefit from this? It's an injustice to think of
them denying our children a chance to hear
correctly."
| |