We don’t have an exhaustive list but, at the moment, bilateral CIs are routinely provided in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Iceland and Australia, and are common in Holland, Germany, Belgium, Spain and the US.

In the US, for example, private insurers that were previously resistant are increasingly now covering funding for bilateral CIs. There has been mounting pressure on insurers as a growing body of research demonstrates the benefits of a second cochlear implant, especially for children. Medicare covers bilateral implants and so do some Medicaid plans. State legislation in some states requires coverage of bilateral implants if single implants are covered.

The Let Them Hear Foundation in the US has been instrumental in securing bilateral CI funding for patients in the US.

Click here for policy documents from three US insurers which contain useful reviews of the research evidence on bilateral CIs.

• Aetna’s Policy Bulletin (October 2007)
• Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Medical Policy (July 2007)
• FCHP