Xxxxxxxx was selling, but aids that have legitimately been issued to a veteran and then later on that veteran trades them in or sells them himself in the regular commercial or secondary markets. This is not have to do with the new aids such as the ones that Mr. I wanted to touch base with you to see if you could help answer a question that many people in the market are confused about. While there is no department within VA which would be able to assist you in researching aids by serial number, please feel free to contact me if you become suspicious of potential fraud. I would continued to use caution when purchasing hearing aids in order to avoid purchasing stolen property. I cannot comment on any licensing, consumer, or business law type issues, but it is clear a veteran is free to do whatever he or she chooses to do with their issued hearing aids. Organization, the Red Cross, or the American Cancer Society. Member will be advised to donate it to some nonprofit organization e.g., a veterans service To recover a particular item, the offer will be politely declined and the veteran or family For the purposes of recovery, loan items willīe depreciated at the rate of 20 percent per year from the date purchased. Reissued whenever such actions are cost-effective. (a) Reusable medical equipment will be recovered, if offered, refurbished if necessary, and Although, the VA will accepted items if voluntarily donated to us. Equipment furnished to the veteran does not have to be returned. They are manufactured for a specific patient as single use item. Hearing Aids would not be considered reusable medical equipment. ![]() Do they become the property of the veteran to keep, sell, give away or throw away as they wish, or do they remain the property of the VA?” In an email to her I asked, “I would really like to get a definitive answer as to the “ownership” of VA issued hearing aids once they are given to veterans. I wanted to make sure I got you the right answer.Īccording to my contact in prosthetics at the VA, hearing aids that are issued to veterans DO NOT remain the property of the VA. Sorry for the long delay in getting back to you. ![]() I am not going to publish his name, but if you would like such information to verify the validity of the fact that PHONAK HAS NO LAWFUL RIGHT TO SIEZE AIDS ISSUED BY THE VA, contact me directly. ![]() Once the Police are called or the treat to do so, you will find the story from the person or store attempting to seize your aids often changes!Īs a result of some of these issues, I contacted the VA and after many phone calls, came across the person to help – a Criminal Investigator in the VA – Fraud Division. GET THE POLICE involved – that is the best advice to sort it out and find the truth, which has been clearly twisted on a number of occasions now that I know of personally. Chances are, the local audiologist won’t put a damn thing in writing because they know their liability in the matter, nor will Phonak. If they won’t, immediately call the local police and have them investigate. NOTE: If anyone, audiologist or otherwise threatens you with seizure of your aids, tell them to put it in writing. Phonak had put the word to their affiliates and corporate owned stores to sieze not only the stolen Phonak aids, but any of the VA aids as well that may come in for repair from other than the VA direct. There were also so legitimate VA Aids in the system, not related to the above. Interestingly, here in the states, there were a couple of “Asian gang members” working at Phonak USA who were pilfering aids coming back in for destruction. This is intended to be a short White Paper on the issues of “stolen” hearing aids, lawful/unlawful grounds for seizure as well as on certain elements of the unlawful practices of certain manufacturers.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |