Summary: UnitedHealthcare has expanded its coverage of cochlear implants to include children as young as 6 months with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and those 9 months and older with single-sided deafness (SSD), effective Sept. 1, 2024.

Takeaways:

  1. Expanded Access: UnitedHealthcare’s new policy will provide cochlear implant coverage for a broader range of children, including those with bilateral SNHL starting at 6 months and SSD at 9 months.
  2. Early Intervention Impact: This decision is expected to significantly improve language development outcomes by ensuring earlier access to sound for children with hearing loss.
  3. Leadership in Healthcare: By expanding coverage based on clinical research and expert input, UnitedHealthcare seeks to demonstrate its commitment to advancing healthcare access for pediatric patients with hearing impairments.

UnitedHealthcare announced the expansion in their coverage of cochlear implants in children. Effective Sept. 1, 2024, UnitedHealthcare will cover cochlear implants for children 6 months old or older with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) as well as children 9 months old and older with single-sided deafness (SSD).

“This decision will have a profoundly positive impact on outcomes in children who are bilateral or unilateral cochlear implant candidates,” says ACI Alliance Executive Director Donna Sorkin of the decision by UnitedHealthcare. “Research demonstrates that early access to sound facilitates the language learning process in a young child. By listening to our input and reviewing the clinical research, UnitedHealthcare demonstrated leadership in making this significant coverage change.”

Expansion of Cochlear Implant Coverage

This expansion builds on a January 2023 decision by UnitedHealthcare to cover cochlear implants in adults over 18 with SSD but excluded children under the age of 5. 

Cochlear Implants have long been approved by the FDA and covered by private and public insurance.

Further reading: New Law Mandates Hearing Aid Coverage for Minors in Virginia