Imagine hearing again.
Cochlear implants are FDA-approved, surgically implanted medical devices that treat moderate to profound sensorineural hearing loss. Cochlear implants replace the function of a damaged inner ear (cochlea) and are designed to approximate natural hearing.
Cochlear implants are a proven medical treatment option for those with severe to profound hearing loss and are the most appropriate option to effectively treat a hearing loss that has progressed beyond receiving benefit from a hearing aid.
The implants are designed to improve hearing and speech understanding in everyday situations, including noisy environments. In fact, data from a study by Cochlear showed that transitioning from a hearing aid to a cochlear implant more than doubled speech understanding in noise.
Unlike hearing aids, hearing implants are covered by Medicare. They are also typically covered by many other insurance plans, including Medicaid.* Need help determining if a hearing implant is covered by your insurance plan? This chart provides a breakdown of coverage by policy type.
* Contact your insurance company or local Hearing Implant Specialist to determine your eligibility for coverage. Covered for Medicare beneficiaries who meet CMS criteria for coverage. Coverage for adult Medicaid recipients varies according to state-specific guidelines.
** Contact your insurance company or local Hearing Implant Specialist to determine your eligibility for coverage.
† Covered for Medicare beneficiaries who meet CMS criteria for coverage.
†† Coverage for adult Medicaid recipients varies according to state-specific guidelines.
The FDA has recently approved cochlear implants to treat one ear with a profound loss, referred to as “single sided deafness,” or “SSD”, regardless of the hearing in the other ear. Prior to this ruling, both ears had to have a profound loss.
Unfortunately, Medicare has not followed suit and currently does not cover SSD, though many commercial insurances do. Consult with our office or your insurance company to determine your individual coverage.
Even if cochlear implants are not covered for SSD, we have some fine alternatives — such as bone anchored hearing aids to assist in processing sound coming into the deaf side.
