Minnesota Hands & Voices FOCUS. Parents find support when appealing denial for hearing aid coverage

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1 OCTOBER 2008 Minnesota Hands & Voices FOCUS supporting families with kids who have hearing loss Parents find support when appealing denial for hearing aid coverage In 2003, Minnesota passed legislation that requires health insurance companies in the state to cover hearing aids for children birth through 18 at the rate of one per ear every three years. But many families have found that their health insurance isn t subject to this legislation because their employer selfinsures its employees. Under a federal law (ERISA) designed to encourage employers to provide voluntary health coverage for employees, self-insured companies are excluded from state mandates for health coverage. Still, some families who have come up against this issue have found it s possible to work with their employers to change the insurance coverage to include hearing aids and the path they ve paved is making it easier for parents today to make similar appeals. When the Minnesota Commission Serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing People (MCDHH), with the help of parent advocates and professionals, succeeded in getting statute 62Q.675 passed, I was thrilled for parents! said Mary Bauer, an advisor with the state s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHS). Mary, who wears hearing aids herself, knows how much they cost. I can only imagine how many sacrifices my parents made in order to purchase several hearing aids for me all the way through my college years, she said. When she started getting calls from parents complaining that because their employer had a self-insured health plan, their child s hearing aids were not covered under the statute, Mary contacted MCDHH. Staff there gave her background information they had used to push for the hearing aid legislation and put her in touch with the parent advocates who had worked with MCDHH on the legislation. Those parents shared the letters they had written to convince employers that had self-insured health plans to make an exception or change company policy to include hearing aids for children. Armed with those documents and more from her own research, Mary and other staff at DHHS created the Hearing Aid Appeals Information Packet: Information for Parents with Self-insured Health Plans. The purpose of the packet is to provide parents with some kind of framework in which to make a change in the coverage of hearing aids when their employer has a self-insured health plan, Mary explained. While not all parents have been successful in changing their employer s policy, I am happy to report that I have heard of parents who have been able to get their child s hearing aids covered even though they have a self-insured health plan. One of those parents whose appeal has been successful is Nicole Mathes of St. Paul. Nicole used the hearing aid appeals information packet to help her change her employer s policy and gain coverage for her two sons hearing aids. Her story about changing the policy at Best Buy is in the July/August 2006 edition of FOCUS. Kris Hemstock, our Southwest Parent Guide, is in the process of appealing her family s insurance coverage. She s managed to change the policy from a $500 lifetime benefit to $1,500 every 3 years for all ages. If hearing aids cost more than $1,500, the remaining cost will be treated as a Medical Fee with a 20% copay (once the family s deductible has been met) this is significant coverage even past the $1,500, Kris added. She has found the appeal process has gone fairly well. I m pretty sure most companies don t know about the recent hearing aid legislation or how important hearing aids can be to children and adults, Kris said. Some of this is just educating the insurance industry, and they will begin to see what other companies who are leaders are doing. Brenda Hommerding, our East/West Central Parent Guide, recently began the appeals process to get coverage for her twin daughters hearing aids. We have a self-insured plan that only covers $1,000 lifetime toward hearing aids per family member, Brenda explained. With twin girls who both wear hearing aids, we have exceeded the plan. Brenda is using the hearing aid appeals packet to help her through the appeal process. The hearing aid appeals packet includes an explanation of the statute, sample letters from other parents, and documents to support an appeal. These documents include testimonies given during the 2003 Legislative session, a sample audiogram with common environmental and speech sounds, facts and figures about hearing loss in children, and comparisons of the cost of hearing aids vs. the cost of education, speech and social services. To download the Hearing Aid Appeals Info Packet go to org and click on Publications under the Family Resource Guide section. Tips for an appeal: Brenda Hommerding, our East/ West Central Parent Guide, is in the process of trying to change her family s health insurance to include more coverage for hearing aids. From her own experience, she offered these tips: Know the exact terms of your insurance plan. Get the correct contacts to send your letters to. This speeds up the process. Cite the state statute as a means for getting hearing aid coverage added to your plan. Share others success stories with your insurer. Have patience, but be persistent!

2 FOCUS 2 Oct. 10 & 11 Thursday, Oct. 16 Saturday, Oct. 18 Tuesday, Oct. 21 Friday, Oct. 24 Here s What s Happening Around Town 20th Annual Great Plains Schools for the Deaf Volleyball Tournament takes place during homecoming at Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf (MSAD) in Faribault. Admission is $8/adults or $5/students and seniors each day. MSAD s homecoming football game begins at 2 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $6/adults or $4/students and seniors. For more information see The 7th Annual Midwest Conference for Listening and Spoken Language runs from 8:30 to 3:30 at at the University of Minnesota Continuing Education and Conference Center on the St. Paul Campus. Sessions will summarize current research on brain development and spoken communication and practical approaches for stimulating listening and speaking skills. Cost is $90 (professional level with CE credit), $45 for students or parents. Register online at northernvoices.org/2008/09/ midwest-conference-for-listening-spoken-language. Dress up the kids for the annual Kids Halloween Party at Thompson Hall Deaf Club, near Merriam Park Library on Marshall Ave. in St. Paul. The free event starts at noon. Hot dog lunch costs $2. Be ready for the costume contest. Practice Cue Clutch meets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Java Jacks, 818 W. 46th St. in Minneapolis. Contact Katherine Burns- Christenson at or kbc29@aol.com. D*Decision 2008 is the topic of a Deaf Culture Salon from 6 to 9 p.m. at Saint Paul College Auditorium, 235 Marshall Ave, St. Paul. Sean Virnig moderates the discussion about the presidential election. Admission is $5. RID credits available. ASL-Interpreted Performances Many of these theaters offer reduced-priced tickets for ASL patrons. Request ASL pricing or the VSA discount. Madeline and the Gypsies Friday, October 24,.7:30 p.m. Five Fingers of Funk Friday, November 14, 7:30 p.m. Children s Theatre Co., rd Ave. S., Mpls; ; Bat Boy Sunday, November 2, p.m. Fred Moore Middle School Center for the Arts, th Ave. S., Anoka ; ; Rainbow Crow Sunday, November 2, 3 p.m. SteppingStone Theatre, 55 Victoria St. N., St. Paul; 7-11; ; November Nights: Ice Maidens Sunday, November 2, 1:30 p.m. The Commonweal, 208 Parkway Avenue N., Lanesboro; , ; George Orwell s Animal Farm Sunday, November 9, 7 p.m. Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis; ; Sunday, Nov. 2 Saturday, Nov. 8 Nov. 10 & 11 INDIA: Public Places, Private Spaces - Contemporary Photography and Video Art is the ASL-interpreted tour at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Tour begins at 1 p.m. by the information desk in the museum lobby. Special exhibition admission charged. For more information, call (v) or (tty) or dhegstro@artsmia.org. Learn how Cued English can improve understanding of the English language for children who are deaf or hard of hearing at Cued English: A Bridge to Literacy, a free workshop from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m at Minnesota Hands & Voices headquarters at Lifetrack Resources, 709 University Ave.. W. in St. Paul. Integrating Cottage Acquisition Skills for Listening, Language & Speech, a workshop for teachers of the deaf/hard of hearing, speech speech-language pathologists and early childhood teachers takes place in Mankato. Cost is $100 (includes materials & lunch). For details, see FOCUS is published by Minnesota Hands & Voices at Lifetrack Resources. 709 University Avenue West St. Paul, MN (v); (tty) Toll-free: DHOHKID ( ) Toll-free TTY: mnhv@lifetrackresources.org Website: Our mission is to build better lives for children who are deaf or hard of hearing by providing parent-to-parent support. Newsletter Editor: Audrey Alwell Information in this newsletter about events, services, or other organizations does not imply endorsement by Minnesota Hands & Voices or Lifetrack Resources Lifetrack Resources

3 FOCUS 3 In Your Corner By Candace Lindow-Davies, Minnesota Hands & Voices Coordinator Well, September is behind us, and we have less than one month to Election Day Nov. 4th. This is an historic year in our country, with a woman Vice Presidential candidate and a black Presidential candidate. Reminds me that anything is possible in this country, and the future just keeps getting brighter for our children. As important as this election is, I would argue that the local elections are potentially even more important during this critical time. Our state is faced with budget forecasts predicting incredible shortfalls. This year is going to be tougher than ever for non-profits, schools and state programs to support our children who are deaf or hard of hearing. As you may remember, Minnesota Hands & Voices was honored to receive an allocation through our State Legislature in However, that funding comes to an end in the spring of If the funding is reduced or eliminated, it is going to be extremely difficult for us to secure replacement grant dollars especially in the out state. We are doing what we can to make our case for why Minnesota Hands & Voices is an important part of the system of care for children who are deaf and hard of hearing. But we could certainly use your help. When you prepare to cast your vote this November, please consider contacting state legislative candidates and other leaders to raise awareness about hearing-related issues and the importance of keeping a strong system of support intact for our families. As a first point of contact for Minnesota Department of Health when families are just learning of their child s diagnosis, we reach out to all families to provide emotional support and information about all the options available. We hope you value the service we provide. We also humbly ask for your direct financial support of the work we do by responding to our annual contribution letter coming out soon. If you have benefited from this newsletter, if you have attended our events or workshops, or if you value the support of trained Parent Guides, please consider a contribution. Please also be a champion for other organizations that provide support to our community. So many wonderful changes have been made to improve services so Minnesota kids get a terrific start in life. I am so proud of how far we have come. Let s use our political power to speak up for our kids. Special opportunity: Nationally known vocal group Sweet Honey in the Rock is coming to St. Paul next March with a compelling musical program that is interpreted for students with hearing loss. Teachers can register their classes NOW for this program by contacting Arlana Vaughn at or avaspecial@avaspecial.com. District consolidates D/HH programs At the start of this school year, Saint Paul Public Schools consolidated its Deaf/Hard of Hearing Programs for 7th through 12th grades at Humboldt Jr. and Sr. high schools south of downtown St. Paul, bringing together a total of 59 students. The district previously maintained programs at both the Humboldt schools and Highland Park Jr. and Sr. high schools. Six students chose to stay at Highland Park. The consolidation maximizes the use of resources and provides many more educational and extracurricular options for our D/HH students, said Kathy Arnoldi, Program Lead for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Programs in Saint Paul Public Schools. While both Humboldt and Highland have had a long history of providing services to students with hearing loss, Humboldt s location in the community, facilities and support programs made it the best choice for a consolidated program, Kathy explained. Humboldt has a number of programs such as AVID, a college preparation program, JROTC, which supports the development of excellent leadership skills, and a new career/ college prep curricular focus which also enhance our students learning, Kathy said. The consolidation also makes the most of the district s resources in terms of staffing, interpretting and related services, she added. Students have settled into their new surroundings and are involved in self-contained as well as general ed. classes and in a variety of after-school activities, Kathy said. Both the D/HH students and the general student body have expressed interest in forming an ASL Club or developing an ASL course offering. They also plan to add an ASL component to the Drama Club. In addition to the newly consolidated program at Humboldt, Saint Paul Public Schools maintains a center-based program for younger students at Como Elementary School. The district also has a team of nine itinerant teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing serving students in most of the district s 75+ schools plus private and charter schools in St. Paul. All together, the district serves approximately 300 students with hearing loss. ADA amendments signed into law President Bush signed the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 into law Sept. 25. The act clarifies and broadens the definition of disability and expands the population eligible for protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The landmark Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in 1990, when former President George H.W. Bush, the current president s father, was in office. The act is widely regarded as one of the major civil rights legislation in the 20th century because it ensured that the disabled have access to public buildings and accommodations, thus giving them better access to the workforce. But since its passage, the Supreme Court has generally exempted from the law s anti-discrimination protections those with partial physical disabilities or impairments that can be treated with medication or devices such as hearing aids or cochlear implants. The bill Bush signed last month directs the courts to a more generous application of the ADA s definition of disability, making it clear that Congress intended the law s coverage to be broad and to cover anyone facing discrimination because of a disability. For more information on the ADA, see

4 FOCUS 4 I am The View from Here MINNESOTA HANDS & VOICES Mary Bauer, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division I am a Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Advisor with the Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHS). There are eight DHS offices located throughout the state; I work in the Metro office in downtown St. Paul. I provide information & referral, technical assistance, and training to: individuals who have a hearing loss, their family members, caregivers, and teachers, and public and private agencies regarding issues related to hearing loss. I graduated from Augustana College in Sioux Falls with a double major in Elementary Education and Deaf Education. I taught for nine years with the St. Paul Schools Deaf/Hard of Hearing Program before joining DHS. I ended up going back to the classroom and then took a position at a non-profit human services agency before returning to DHS in I was diagnosed with hearing loss when I was about four years old and received my first hearing aids. My older brother was already diagnosed as having a profound hearing loss and was attending Minnesota School for the Deaf in Faribault (the school has since changed its name to Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf). I seemed to have normal hearing until an incident where I asked my Dad to turn on the lights because I couldn t see his lips. My parents had my hearing tested as soon as possible, and learned I had a mild to moderate hearing loss. When I was in fifth grade, my hearing dropped to a moderate to severe level, where it has stayed pretty much all these years. I went to school at my local neighborhood school (this was way before they called it mainstreaming ) and received speech and language services. Luckily, I had the support of wonderful parents and a built-in role model of a deaf brother and did very well academically and socially in school. My parents were great advocates including when they felt less intervention was better. When I started kindergarten, the school district wanted to send a taxi to transport me to and from school even though the school bus stopped practically at my front door. My mom contacted the special education director and told him that it didn t make sense to have a taxi provide transportation when I could walk to the school bus and climb the stairs just like any other child. She told the special education director that she and my dad did not want me ostracized from the neighborhood children and did not want taxi services. When the special education director wouldn t listen to my mom, she called the superintendent and spoke directly to him. Needless to say, there was no taxi services for me! Southwest: Minnesota Hands & Voices cosponsors Parent Empowerment & Networking Support (PENS), a new opportunity for families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The group will have four meetings during the school year at Slayton Elementary School. The first meeting, Oct. 28, begins at 5:30 with supper (provided) and networking time, followed by kids activities and a presentation for parents on the Telephone Equipment Distribution program. RSVP by Oct. 20 to Jill Rohman at or jill.rohman@swsc.org. South Central Service Cooperative offers storytelling in ASL Saturday, Nov. 1 from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Service Coop center, 2075 Lookout Drive, North Mankato. Southeast: View the film Including Samuel, which examines the educational and social inclusion of youth with disabilities, Thursday, Nov. 6, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Goodhue School. Register with PACER Center at or PACER@PACER.org. East/West Central: Celebrate the season at a Halloween Carnival, the second annual Lucas Morang fundraiser for the Starkey Hearing Foundation, from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25 at First and Arthur in Winsted. Minnesota Hands & Voices cosponsors Parent Empowerment & Networking Support (PENS) for families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The group will have four meetings during the school year at Willmar High School. The first meeting, Oct. 20, begins at 5:30 with supper (provided) and networking time, followed by kids activities and a presentation for parents by audiologists. RSVP by Oct. 13 to Jill Rohman at or jill.rohman@swsc.org.

5 FOCUS 5 Debate shown with captions at Minneapolis theater The presidential debate at 8 p.m. Oct. 15 will be shown live with captions at the Riverview Theater, nd Ave. S. in Minneapolis. The captioned event is sponsored by The Minnesota Commission Serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing People to encourage people with hearing loss to participate in the election process. For directions to the theater, see For more information about voting and elections go to ASL film at Thompson Hall Special showings of a new film performed in ASL will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 17 and 18 at Charles Thompson Hall Auditorium, 1824 Marshall Ave. in St. Paul. The Legend of the Mountain Man is a family-friendly story set in Montana about three children visitng their grandparents ranch for the summer. More information about the film is at www. aslfilm.com. Admission is $10. Proceeds go to Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens. Trip offered to DHH teens Global Explorers, an educational tour organization, is offering a trip to Costa Rica next spring for high school students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The students will be paired with hearing students who are learning ASL. In Costa Rica, the group will study field science techniques and work with local students on a service project. They will also learn about sustainability, ecotourism and fair trade issues. Global Explorers has been featured on ABC News, Nightline and other national news shows. Their website is The trip costs $1,995. Applications are due by Nov. 1. Call or leadingtheway@globalexplorers. org and ask for an application to the Leading the Way Costa Rica 2009 trip. Free teaching aid offered Colgate has adapted its Bright Smiles, Bright Futures school program to teach oral health and self esteem to students with hearing loss. The program is available free to teachers at Off the Shelf There are a number of classes this fall to teach families how to sign or cue. Whether or not you enrolled in a class, you ll find our lending library rich with resources to help you improve your skills. Sign with Me is a 3-part video series created by the staff at Boys Town s Center for Childhood Deafness. Part 1 teaches everyday signs to use with young children. Part 2 builds on those skills, while Part 3 focuses on encouraging positive behaviors. All of the parts come with 2 videos and a workbook. Winnie-the-Pooh s ABC book uses the famous bear and his friends to teach ASL handshapes. The Handmade Alphabet also illustrates ABCs in sign. Signing Fiesta is a series of 7 videos to teach ASL to Spanishspeaking families. Literacy Lessons: Storytelling in ASL and Cued Language is a computer disk with three Beginning Reader stories in ASL and transliterated in Cued English. This CD shows how both ASL and cue can be used to promote literacy in children with hearing loss. We also have several videos to improve your cueing skills, including Becoming a Proficient Cuer and Cue that Word! To request one of these titles or find something similar, go to www. mnhandsandvoices.org and click on Lending Library. You can also call us and describe what you re looking for and we ll help you find it. A new website provides health information in ASL. The site, org, was created with input from a number of physicians, hospitals, the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health. Online forum discusses reading, signing skills The research topic on the Hands & Voices online forum through Nov. 2 is the relationship between the reading and signing skills of deaf children in bilingual education programs National Hands & Voices and a coalition of research universities plus the Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education maintain the online forum at www. wiki.educ.msu.edu. Parents and professionals can register at the site to review the current topic and post comments. Researchers use these comments to guide current projects. RIT holds art contest Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is holding its third annual Digital Arts, Film and Animation Competition for high school students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Categories include Film, Mixed Digital Media, Web Page Design, Graphic Media, 3-D Animation, Interactive Media and Photo Illustration. First place winners in each category will win $250 and all-expenses-paid trips for two to RIT s National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, NY for the awards ceremony and an exhibition of their work. Entry forms and details are available at The submission deadline is Dec. 15. Gallaudet holds contest The annual Gallaudet National Essay, Art, and ASL Contest for students ages 9-19 with hearing loss has the theme Going Green: What I m Doing to Help Save the Environment. Winners in the two age categories (9-14 and 15-19) earn scholarships or cash prizes. The entry deadline is Feb. 9. See clerccenter. gallaudet.edu/contest. Parents can attend retreat A weekend retreat for parents and caregivers of chldren or adults who have any type of disability will take place Oct at the Americanna Inn & Michael s Convention Center in St. Cloud. The $50 registration fee covers workshops, meals, hotel room, and more. To register, contact Kim at or see the website www. ReasonForHopeRetreat.org.

6 FOCUS Optimist Club holds contest for deaf, hard of hearing students Students who are deaf or hard of hearing can enter a contest in public speaking (or manual communication) being offered through Optimist International with a chance to win a $1,500 college scholarship. Students enter the contest through a local chapter of Optimist International, a worldwide network of service clubs that promote positive experiences for kids. There are two dozen Optimist clubs in Minnesota, but not every club sponsors this contest. To find a club near you, programs@optimist.org. Winners from each club will go to the district competition for a chance to win the $1,500 scholarship. The contest is open to young people through grade 12 who have a hearing loss of 40 decibels or more. Patterned after the Optimist Oratorical Contest, the Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing offers kids with hearing loss the chance to compete in speech or sign language and gain the skills and confidence which can only come from signing or speaking to a large audience. The Optimist Club in central Minnesota is sponsoring the contest for deaf or hard of hearing students in that region. For an application and complete rules for the central Minnesota club s contest only, Ginny Bisek at gbisek@charter.net. The Optimist Club is interested in continuing this contest, but in recent years we have had very few candidates, Ginny said. 6 Hearing Loss Association of America has created a new online social community for young adults ages 18 to 35 who are hard of hearing. The site, gives young adults the opportunity to meet and interact with people in their age group who have a hearing loss something they don t always have an opportunity to do in their daily life. There are also groups linked to the site for teens and college students who have hearing loss. State warns of scam emaiil A mass with the subject line!!alert!!! Urgent Reply To Your Winning BY Sorenson VRS has been confirmed to be a scam by the State of Minnesota. The asks the recipient to chat online with one of their agents to claim the winnings. Typically, the agent will try to get an individual s bank account information.