Click here to download a pdf version of Adult Guidance.

AM I A CANDIDATE FOR COCHLEAR IMPLANTS?

Cochlear implants provide meaningful access to sound for those with more severe hearing loss. Even the most advanced hearing aids may not overcome the hearing difficulties associated with severe to profound hearing impairment. A cochlear implant bypasses the damaged areas of the cochlea and may provide improved hearing abilities for speech understanding and the perception of music and environmental sounds.

Barriers to Adult Cochlear Implant Care in the United States: An Analysis of Health Care Delivery

Ashley M. Nassiri MD, MBA; John P. Marinelli MD; Donna L. Sorkin MA; and Matthew L. Carlson MD

Persistent underutilization of cochlear implants (CIs) in the United States is in part a reflection of a lack of hearing health knowledge and the complexities of care delivery in the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss. An evaluation of the patient experience through the CI health care delivery process systematically exposes barriers that must be overcome to undergo treatment for moderate-to-severe hearing loss. This review analyzes patient-facing obstacles including diagnosis of hearing loss, CI candidate identification and referral to surgeon, CI evaluation and candidacy criteria interpretation, and lastly CI surgery and rehabilitation.

Read full article here.

In February 2021 actor and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno, popularly known as The Incredible Hulk, received a cochlear implant. In this video with ACI Alliance Executive Director Donna Sorkin, he discusses his lifelong hearing loss and why he went forward with a cochlear implant at age 69.

Click here to watch the video.

HEALTH INSURANCE DOES COVER COCHLEAR IMPLANTS

This free, one-hour online course is an introduction to health insurance and cochlear implants. It explains the typical coverage process in public and private health insurance plans as well as the likely financial responsibility of the individual or family.

COCHLEAR IMPLANTS, HEARING AIDS, AND OLDER ADULTS

Q: When are older adults (age 65+) considered CI candidates under Medicare and how is testing performed?

A: Testing is performed by an audiologist in a sound booth in best aided condition (wearing two well fit hearing aids) using recorded sentences with no visual clues. Someone is a candidate for a cochlear implant under Medicare rules if they have at least bilateral (both ears) moderate (sloping) to profound hearing loss and are able to correctly identify no more than 40% of words in sentences during controlled testing in the ear to be implanted.

Click here to see the full Q&A Fact Sheet.

DO INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPERIENCED EARLY CHILDHOOD DEAFNESS BENEFIT FROM COCHLEAR IMPLANTATION AS ADULTS?

In the early years of cochlear implantation and throughout the 1990s, adults who had experienced early deafness (either born deaf or having lost hearing during early childhood), were generally considered unsuitable candidates for cochlear implantation. This perspective was guided by research on children. Research demonstrated the significant impact of a child's age at implantation; children implanted at a younger age, on average, have better outcomes. The expectation was also driven by outcomes of adult CI recipients who lost their hearing as adults, findings which have consistently demonstrated diminished outcomes with longer duration of hearing loss among the population whose hearing loss was within the CI candidacy range.

WHEN SHOULD AN ADULT BE REFERRED FOR A CI EVALUATION?

A guideline utilizing commonly collected patient data can be used to aid audiologists in knowing when to refer an adult to a CI center for a CI evaluation.   Patients should be referred if they demonstrate a best ear unaided monosyllabic word score less than or equal to 60% correct and if they demonstrate an unaided pure-tone average in their better ear that is greater than or equal to 60 dB HL. The recommended guideline is the results of a study of 529 patients who participated in a cochlear implant candidacy evaluation.

ADULT REHABILIATION

American Cochlear Implant Alliance offers an auditory rehabilitation resource, Naama’s Blog. The Blog provides support to adults who are either candidates for, or recipients of, cochlear implants and their families. Please click HERE to view blog entry topics.

COCHLEAR IMPLANT OUTCOMES IN ADULTS: HOW DO I KNOW I WILL GAIN MORE THAN I LOSE?

CLICK HERE  to see the Consumer/Parent Workshop: How Recent Scientific Discoveries are Advancing Cochlear Implant Benefits.