[blindkid] Conformer question?

Fri May 15 03:43:31 UTC 2009

Absolutely true about the insurance concerns. In our case our  
Ocularist is not a "preferred provider" so the part of the bill  
insurance covers is greatly reduced. The problem is there is not a  
preferred provider on our plan that works with kids in the entire  
state. I don't recall how insurance deals with them differently but as  
I recall, the outright cost of the painted shells themselves is about  
5x that of the clear conformers (though other associated costs are  
similar for things like EUA's and such).

As I thought I had mentioned before (though perhaps I forgot) we've  
also had to have all these items initially fitted under anesthesia  
though sometimes at least limited adjustments can be made once or  
twice for a child's growth without having to go through another EUA.  
In our case, the fit is never quite as good with a best guess  
adjustment but it is a trade off that reduces the need for more  
frequent use of anesthesia and the cost of starting from scratch. I  
can't wait until we can begin to try to get an impression made without  
anesthesia and in the Ocularist's office instead of dealing with the  
hospital and an EUA but I think that is still a few years off...

It can be complicated and expensive but we feel it is well worth it  
all given our particular situation.

Richard

On May 14, 2009, at 7:54 PM, DHammelIA at aol.com wrote:

>
> Our twins are almost 7 and are still using the conformers.
>
> We adopted them when they were 3 so had some lost time in getting  
> their eye sockets up to size.
>
> They are ready for painted shells at any time but they have other  
> problems mainly autistic spectrum that makes it difficult for them  
> to stay put long enough for the fitting.
>
> The last 2 fittings we did in coordination with eye exams under  
> anesthesia and when they had ear tubes inserted.
>
> Just an added caution that a few people have touched on.
>
> Insurance (specifically Blue Cross) is objecting to paying what it  
> costs for a good occularist.
>
> So many of the occularists are no longer Blue Cross providers.
>
> The insurance thinks that what are called stock eyes are sufficient.
>
> There can be fit problems etc.
>
> So if you can afford it or can fight with your insurance it is worth  
> it to deal with a licensed occularist.
>
> David Hammel
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Richard Holloway <rholloway at gopbc.org>
> Sent: Thu, 14 May 2009 4:39 pm
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Conformer question?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I should correct an error from my earlier reply-- Our daughter,  
> Kendra is six-years-old. I think she got her most recent set of  
> painted shells at about age four but got her first painted ones at  
> age two (more specifically at about 25 months) and had started with  
> her first clear conformer on one side at about two months. We did  
> find that at such a young age with the painted shells she looked a  
> bit "doll-like" with the them in because the size of the irises and  
> retinas was a bit larger than they would typically have appeared but  
> we were very pleased with the overall effect.?
> ?
>
> Still, the most important thing to us by far was getting the  
> conformers which have a much more pronounced effect on bone  
> development as opposed to adding the immediate cosmetic effects of  
> the painted shells. (If we'd have waited longer to get the shells to  
> replace the conformers there would have been no long-term effect  
> from the delay as her body grew and developed-- the bones could care  
> less if what is pressing against them is clear or looks like a  
> typical eye....)?
> ?
>
> Richard?
> ?
>
> ?
>
>
> On May 13, 2009, at 9:30 PM, Laurie Burns wrote:?
> ?
>
>> Hi there,?
>
>> Is anyone familiar with conformers?  Our eye doctor suggested it  
>> for > our daughter to help keep the eyes healthy.  Hannah is  
>> completely > blind.  She explained that these conformers will help  
>> to keep the > eye healthy and growing.  If we do nothing, then  
>> eventually her eyes > may start to set back in her head further and  
>> further.  SHe also > said that the eyelids/eyes don't grow and this  
>> helps to stretch out > the eye area/lids to make her look more  
>> "normal".  They are a hard, > clear, plastic shell that you insert  
>> over the eye.  Eventually you > can have them painted different  
>> colors if you want.  I hope this > makes sense and someone else has  
>> gone through this?  I was just > wondering if this is necessary,  
>> cosmetic, a good idea???  Any > thoughts would be helpful!  Thank  
>> you!  Laurie Wages?
>
>> ?
>
>> ?
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>> ?
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>> ?
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>> ?
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>> ?
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