Public funding is available for cochlear implant surgical procedures. There is limited public funding for bone conduction implants. In most cases, private health insurers will cover the cost of cochlear implant and bone conduction implant procedures. Patients should contact their private health insurer to find out if they are fully covered for a medical implant.
Overseas patients
Services are available to overseas patients as well as Australian residents. People who do not hold an Australian Medicare card will be charged for each service provided.
It is helpful to bring any results of tests, such as: recent hearing test results, medical and x-ray reports and appropriate educational reports for children.
The minimum length of stay required for patients coming from overseas is about three months. This includes pre-operative evaluations, surgery and the initial post-operative device programming and rehabilitation. People should also allow for annual reviews. It may be possible for a clinic closer to the patient’s home to take over their management after the first three months.
We recommend that if cochlear impact clinic patients do not speak English, they are accompanied by someone who can translate into their own language. This will enable the accurate exchange of information and the rehabilitation process. If necessary, the cochlear implant clinic can organise interpreters at an extra cost to the patient.
