Cochlear implants

Who can get a cochlear implant?

Disability Support Services funds cochlear implant services for people who meet all of the following criteria:

• You have severe to profound hearing loss in both ears.
• Your hearing isn't helped by standard (acoustic) hearing aids.
• You've been assessed as likely to benefit from a cochlear implant.
• You're eligible for publicly funded health and disability services.
• You live permanently in New Zealand.
• You do not qualify for cochlear implant funding through ACC.

If you can say yes to all of those statements, then you may be eligible for DSS funded cochlear implant services. Your health provider or local audiologist can help you find out whether you're eligible for this service.

• Find out more about who can get support.

What does the cochlear implant service cover?

The Disability Support Services funded service includes:

• the assessment
• the device (an implanted electrode and a sound processor which is worn externally)
• the surgery
• audiology
• maintenance and support
• associated ongoing support services
• rehabilitation for adults or habilitation for children
• device replacement.

The funded service also includes follow-up services such as replacement sound processors. These follow up services ensure your cochlear implant works well throughout your life.

For children, the funded service also covers the cost of any repairs, batteries or spare parts for their speech processors. Adults (aged 19 years or older) don’t have these costs covered.

Disability Support Services does not fund follow-up services for adults (aged 19 or older) who received their implant outside of New Zealand or who paid for their implant privately.

Implants for children

Children under 19 years of age with severe to profound hearing loss in both ears who are newly assessed as needing a cochlear implant can receive Disability Support Services funding for one ear or both ears, whichever is clinically recommended by their specialist.

Children under 6 years of age who have received DSS funding for one implant can receive an implant for their other ear if their specialist recommends it.

Children under 19 years of age who receive DSS funding for cochlear implants for both ears will be funded for follow-up services for both ears.

Children under 19 years of age who have received DSS funding for one cochlear implant and received an implant for their second ear, funded through other means, prior to 1 July 2014, will be funded for follow-up services for both ears.

Implants for adults

Only one implant is funded for adults. The evidence suggests that a single implant can provide adults with useful hearing so they can communicate more easily.

A limited amount of funding is available for cochlear implants. By only funding one implant per adult, we ensure we can help as many people as possible.

An exception to this are adults who have had meningitis. They may have implants funded for both ears if their specialist recommends it. Meningitis can cause cochlear ossification where the cartilage in the ear hardens into bone. If this happens, a person might not be able to get another electrode (implant) inserted if they needed it (for example if the first electrode failed). So adults who have had meningitis can be funded to get two implants.

Who provides cochlear implant services?

Disability Support Services contracts two providers to offer implant services.

• The Northern Cochlear Implant Programme (NCIP) covers Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Taupo.
• The Southern Cochlear Implant Programme external(SCIP) covers the rest of New Zealand. 

These providers select the hospitals where surgery for cochlear implants takes place. The hospitals may be public or private hospitals.

If you live outside a main centre, the cost of travel to the hospital for an audiology assessment, surgery and follow-up appointments may be covered through the National Travel Assistance Scheme external.