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Understanding takes more than just hearing parent and child with cochlear implant
 

Founded in 1991, the Johns Hopkins Cochlear Implant Center, formerly known as The Listening Center, is one of the largest cochlear implant centers in the world. We perform hundreds of surgeries each year in adults and children, lead multiple clinical trials and provide state-of-the-art-care.

 

Request An Appointment

  • Schedule by phone

    Request an appointment by calling us at 443-997-6467.
  • Send an Email

    You may schedule an appointment by sending an email to [email protected].

Cochlear Implant Resources

Hear From Our Experts

 

Introduction to Cochlear Implantation | Q&A With Dr. Charles Della Santina

Cochlear Implant Activation Process | Q&A With Audiologist Steve Bowditch

Cochlear Implants for Single-Sided Deafness | Q&A With Audiologist Steve Bowditch

 

Cochlear Implant Cost and Insurance Coverage

Does insurance cover cochlear implants? It might if candidacy criteria approved by the Food and Drug Administration are met, as determined by the patient’s audiologist. The first step when considering a cochlear implant is to contact your health insurance company.

    1. Contact the customer service department (information is on the back of your health insurance card).
    2. Ask, “Is procedure code 69930 covered under my policy?”
    3. Your insurance provider may request the following information.
      1. Diagnosis code. It is H90.3 (sensorineural hearing loss, bilateral).
      2. Device code. It is L8614.
      3. Cochlear implant surgery is an outpatient procedure.

    The insurance company will not be able to provide an exact cost until your doctors submit a claim. However, your insurer should give you information about the portion of the cost for which you will be responsible. This cost may include services and fees not covered by insurance, as well as a copay or a deductible that applies at the time of surgery. For example, your insurance provider may cover 80% of the cost, which means you will be responsible for the remaining 20% of the cost.

    Your doctors’ appointments before and after the implant surgery may be billed separately. For instance, the cost of the internal and external device may be included in the cost of surgery, but cochlear implant activation may not be covered in the cost of the surgery.

  • Medicare covers cochlear implants for some people, and eligibility for older adults was expanded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in September 2022. This change allows Medicare beneficiaries with aided speech discrimination test scores of up to 60% to consider cochlear implantation if hearing aids are no longer helpful. (Previous guidelines only provided coverage for patients who scored less than 40% on aided speech discrimination tests, leaving many unable to obtain cochlear implants even though their hearing was impaired.)

    The decision provides a significant improvement in access to care for those with moderate to profound sensorineural hearing loss.

 

Why Choose Johns Hopkins Cochlear Implant Center

Advanced Research

Laboratories affiliated with the Cochlear Implant Center are actively involved in both basic and clinical research programs that aim to maximize the benefits available from cochlear implants.

New Treatment Option for Single-Sided Deafness

We can perform cochlear implantation for patients with single-side deafness, even if the other ear is not impaired.

Child and Family- Friendly Center

Our center works in partnership with parents, teachers, therapists, and our patients’ primary audiologists and physicians to ensure continuity of the training offered at the center into the daily life of the child with a cochlear implant. 

World-Class Care

Our specialists represent decades of experience in a variety of disciplines including education, audiology, ear surgery, speech and language pathology, psychology and imaging technology
 
 

Appointments and Locations

Request an appointment at one of our convenient locations. Learn more about parking and amenities at each location to help you plan your visit. Free parking is available at Green Spring Station in Lutherville.

 
 
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