COCHLEAR IMPLANTS
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Disability Rights
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Below are e-mails from a Nucleus user documenting the Cochlear Corporation policy to refuse to repair or service devices for users with outstanding balances.
In this case, the outstanding balance was the responsibility of Cochlear Corporation. The company submitted a claim to Medicare on behalf of the user for a Spectra 22 speech processor. The user was led to believe that the processor would be covered by Medicare. Because the company never had the user sign a "waiver of liability" indicating he knew the processor might be denied, the company could not legally collect this balance.
Despite this knowledge, Cochlear refused to service this user's equipment until the balance of $3,000 was paid in full. When the processor began malfunctioning, this patient was left without sound.
Cutting off someone's processor is not like cutting off telephone service or electricity for delinquent customers. As this user notes, Cochlear has its users "hostage" in this situation. Once implanted, the user cannot realistically go somewhere else for his or her hearing. And if the company refuses to service their equipment, the user is deprived of communication and forced back into a world of silence.
Only after this user retained a lawyer did John McClanahan, Cochlear's reimbursement manager, agree to waive the outstanding balance and have the processor serviced. We believe it is highly unethical for any company to force its customers to have to go to these great lengths to retain the critical benefits of hearing that the cochlear implant provides. After all, if a company refuses to service a user's processor and that user is unable to hear oncoming cars or other sounds warning of injury, wouldn't the company be liable should that user be injured?
Let us know what you think of this policy by taking our poll on this issue.
E-mail from Nucleus user protesting policy of refusing to repair processor due to outstanding balance.
E-mail (page 1 of 2) from Nucleus user documenting that Cochlear Corporation chose not to enforce their policy of refusing service after the user retained a lawyer.
Page 2 of previous e-mail
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