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Date:         Tue, 10 Nov 1992 16:09:17 -0500
From:         "Mark J. Dessert" <11MDESSERT@GALLUA.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: Re:60 Minutes

>Subject: Re:60 Minutes


>I resent the implication of a couple of our deaf-l people, that anyone who
>disagrees with their opinion about something, whatever it might be, does so
>because he/she does not have the best interests of the person they are working
>with at heart and are making recommendations in favor of their own job
>security and money.  Of course, there are some like that, but the majority
>of professionals make recommendations in terms of the person they are working
>with and with as objective a decision as possible.  Please, folks, let's try
>to be a little more objective and fair.

        It is hard to not have strong feelings regarding Cochlear Implants,
whatever those feelings may be.  I was an Emergency Medical Technician
when I was still hearing and yes, it is true that Professional people
are still ordinary people and not the little gods some of us choose to
see them as.  I recall reading in the Journal of Emergency Medical
Services about a Medicare scam involving heart pacemakers.  It seems that
Some manufacturers were offering Cardiologists "incentives" for
prescribing their latest technological advances.  As a result, many
heart patients were subjected to the risk of needless surgery to replace
perfectly good pacemakers that were functioning fine and would have
continued to function for many years.  What many people don't know is
that surgery is not risk free.  General aneasthesia is a life
threatening procedure.  Yes, you can have a safe surgical procedure if
there are no complications but the risk of death is still there.  Are
parents really considering this possibility?

        You also must look at the facts involved here.  Insurance
companies that refuse to pay a few hundred dollars for a hearing aid
will pay $20,000.00; $30,000.00 or more for a Cochlear Implant and in
some cases will pay for a second operation.  (Some single channel
recipients have already gotten 22 channel implants.)  Now, think about
the number of deaf children worldwide and multiply it times the dollar
ammounts above.  Look at the potential profit that the manufacturers
would miss if they did not aggressively press for that market.
(Remember, corporate boards are made up of people whose primary concern
is the survival and growth of their corportation.)  How can a situation
like that not attract unscrupulous people such as those involved in
heart pacemaker scams and other sordid activities.  We must not turn a
blind eye as well as a deaf ear to this possibility.  When the pacemaker
scam was unravelled, some prominent physicians lost their liscences to
practice medicine.  Some people were fined and a few went to jail.  Does
it seem that justice prevailed?  How many more were not caught?

        The primary issue with Cochlear Implants is the children
themselves, not the professionals involved.  If such a scam takes place
and it is discovered, some people can be punished, yes.  But the
children will suffer for the rest of their lives.

        Two last comments:

        The child that 60 minutes focused on was deafened at the age of
three.  She was not born deaf so she already had three years exposure to
the learning of language.  It is not a realistic comparison to use her
case as a yardstick for all deaf children.

         I recently read an article by Harlan Lane regarding Cochlear
Implants and yound deaf children.  I will get the title and publication
date and post it for anyone interested.  I imagine that if it isn't
in your library, you might obtain it through the National Information
Center on Deafness at Gallaudet University.

                      Best regards  :-)

                        Mark Dessert

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         With each passing day I learn the extent of my ignorance.

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