Cost of Ownership

The costs of maintaining a Cochlea Implant system over time varies greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer. Factors determining this long term cost are:

Product Reliability (external components)

Frequent product failure not only deprives the implantee of hearing it is also a major contributor to long term cost.

Warranty Cover

The longer you are covered by initial warranty and the longer the warranty of your accessories and other needed parts last, the less you have to spend on replacements and repairs over time.

Power Supply and Power Consumption

Cochlea Implants use a lot of energy, some more some less. Cochlea Implant Systems or certain configurations which can only be operated by disposable batteries will increase the running costs over time by a multitude. Another factor is cost of rechargeable batteries.

Cost of Repairs and Spare Parts

Cost of repairs and spare parts as well as their durability and individual warranty vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer.

FM System

The use of an FM System for children who use their Implant in school is an absolute necessity, however based on product design an adaptor or special FM receiver might become necessary which can more than double the cost.

Loss and Damage Insurance

A 3 year free of charge loss and damage insurance is available for every Advanced Bionics implant user.

Article: Cochlear Implant - Two Local Children Receive The Gift of Sound. (PDF)