Medicaid/Title XIX

[Jeffrey Sirianni]

"Sandra and Dan Hobson" <danhobson at netins.net> writes:

>I know a number of States do not provide hearing aids under the optional
>services for their State's poor. I recently received an e- mail from
>Wisconsin that they have to submit invoice and get $180 above that for
>their service. In talking to other durable medical goods providers in Iowa
>they do not have to submit an invoice from the manufacturer i.e.
>wheelchair, but are paid a flat fee. Are there any States currently doing
>a flat fee for hearing aids, ie. xx for a BTE, yy for a ITE, zz for a ITC
>and prior appoval if want to fit a programmable at this time???? 

In Texas, Medicaid limits the reimbursement to $X.  When someone qualifies for
a hearing aid, we have to search for a manufacturer who will agree to sell us
an aid for $X.  In most cases, these tend to be pretty "bottom of the barrell"
devices.  Medicaid pays us $X plus about $150 in fitting and follow-up fees.
I've heard the $X limit has not been changed in over 10 years.

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