Third-party payer response to requests for purchase of communication augmentation systems: a study of Washington state

The purpose of this study is to document third-party payer response to requests for purchase of communication augmentation equipment for communicatively impaired individuals in the State of Washington. Information pertaining to client etiology and duration of communication disorder was requested by questionnaire along with information about the category of requesting agency, the category of third-party payer, and the cost of the communication system. During an 18-month period from June 1979 to December 1981, 53 completed questionnaires were returned. Thirty percent of the requests for communication augmentation systems were denied by third-party payers. Forty-three percent of requests for clients in the 0 to 18 age range were funded. Eighty-six percent of the requests for clients in the 19 through 40 year age range were funded. Sixty-three percent of the requests in the 40 and above age range were funded. Patterns of third-party payer response according to etiology, cost, requesting agency, and third-party payer category are also presented.