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No cochlear implant...yet

Dec 26, 2024

As a follow-up to the post on considering a cochlear implant, I have decided to pass on getting one.

I had had a thorough hearing assessment earlier this year and it confirmed that I have "profound" hearing loss in my left ear.

With that in hand, in July of this year, I met with a surgeon. He confirmed that I was a candidate for a cochlear implant. However, he could not provide any assurance that the procedure would be covered by Medicare. He did say that they would submit the claim and see what happens. However, I would be required to pay the full cost of the procedure in the event that Medicare denied the claim. And the estimate provided by the hospital was $58,000.

After considering that, I informed the surgeon that I would not be proceeding with the surgery at this time. I will continue to monitor the situation and if Medicare changes its policy, I will reconsider.

I have successfully coped with single-sided deafness for a little more than 9 years. I have the benefit of not having to be in crowded or noisy environments on a day to day basis. Hence, I'm coping with it pretty well.

The risk that I face is that as my "good" ear ages, it may also lose its hearing ability. If that happens, I will have to reconsider getting a cochlear implant.