On July 11, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a new rule that would reclassify bone-anchored implants (i.e., osseointegrated hearing implants) from a prosthetic device to a hearing aid. This would effectively end Medicare reimbursement, since hearing aids are not covered under Medicare.

If the rule is adopted, it will affect thousands of people who do not benefit from hearing aids and people who need to replace or update their bone-anchored implant. The proposed changes threaten to eliminate what may be the best—and only—option for individuals with microtia, atresia, conductive hearing losses and single-sided deafness. Click here and here for more background and information.

There are only 10 days left to submit comments to CMS on the proposed rule!  The comment period ends on September 2, and the final ruling by CMS is expected sometime around November 1. Click here to submit comments.Click here for guidance on comment submission for professionals, candidates, recipients, caregivers and supporters. 

Source: AG Bell and link below.

Link: http://www.hearingreview.com/2014/08/medicare-considers-ending-coverage-bone-anchored-hearing-devices/

Link: http://www.the-hospitalist.org/details/article/6443271/Deaf_Hospitalist_Focuses_on_Teaching_Co-Management_Patient-Centered_Care.html

It’s back to school time already! Whether your child is moving into a mainstream school for the first time, starting high school, or just returning for another year, the back-to-school season can be busy, exciting and sometimes stressful for students and their families. These resources provide self-advocacy tips, information to give teachers and school administrators and checklists to help you get ready to send your children back to school. 

Link: http://www.listeningandspokenlanguage.org/It_s_Back_to_School_Time/

Link: http://cmv.usu.edu/Registration.cfm

Employing optical coherence tomography (OCT), which generates high-resolution, three-dimensional (3D) images, Brian Applegate, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University (College Station, TX), and colleagues from Stanford University (Stanford, CA) are mapping the tissues within the cochlea, the portion of the inner ear responsible for hearing. Their research could lead to breakthroughs in understanding cochlear function, Applegate says, including new therapies for hearing loss.

Link: http://www.bioopticsworld.com/articles/2014/08/oct-imaging-of-the-inner-ear-promising-for-new-hearing-loss-therapies.html

Children with hearing loss who are fitted with a second cochlear implant early in life develop better language skills, according to a five-year study.

Link: http://www.futurity.org/cochlear-implants-children-language-740462/

In 2012, Rachel Coleman, host of the Two Little Hands series, Signing Time, met Matt Fraction, a writer for Marvel Comics, at a Signing Time concert. Fraction had been fascinated by the experience of signing with his son. He was struck by the similarities in visual communication techniques used in both comic books and sign language.

Link: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/2097403

Link: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/2097403

There are two critical aspects involved in auditory learning: acoustics and the hearing ability of the child. Acoustics measure the impact that the physical environment will have on that most important piece of the learning process. The acoustic environment can dramatically decrease the effectiveness of the teaching. 

Link: http://www.classroomhearing.org/acoustics.html

The August edition contains important information on how to prepare expectant parents for newborn hearing screening.  Click the link below to see how you can help.

Link: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs154/1102782899287/archive/1117974469745.html

It’s a device that can fit in the palm of your hand, but Dalhousie University researchers hope it will do big things to help doctors treating patients with hearing loss.

Link: http://globalnews.ca/news/1420948/revolutionary-ear-probe-could-transform-treatment-of-hearing-loss/

Link: http://globalnews.ca/news/1420948/revolutionary-ear-probe-could-transform-treatment-of-hearing-loss/