Costs to maintain cochlear implants prohibitive for those who rely on them

Seventy-year-old Rod Rossmo spent weeks planning what he would say to Saskatchewan's health minister during their private meeting Tuesday.

Rossmo, who is clinically deaf and relies on cochlear implants to hear, is lobbying the provincial government to fully fund technological upgrades to the devices' external portion, known as the sound processor.

Minister Paul Merriman agreed to the meeting after Rossmo visited the legislature with NDP health critic Vicki Mowatt in mid-May.

"Hearing problems are health problems. These are medical devices," said Rossmo, who is on the hook for buying a new sound processor for about $11,000 in order to hear.

The retired psychologist says a person's ability to hear shouldn't depend on their ability to pay.

When Rossmo received his cochlear implants in 2014, the province covered the initial device and surgery. What Rossmo didn't realize then is that the external sound processor — the device behind his ear that sends sound signals to another device inside his head so he can hear — would become obsolete within eight to 10 years.

Companies like Cochlear Americas stop providing parts or service for old processors, essentially forcing people with cochlear implants to upgrade to newer versions. A new processor isn't covered by the Saskatchewan health plan.

"My jaw dropped. I said, 'This can't be happening,'" said Rossmo. 

Saskatchewan's Ministry of Health said low-income adults can receive some financial support, but that other cochlear implant recipients should use private insurance to cover replacements. Rossmo's insurance would only cover $500.

In comparison, Quebec's health plan covers 100 per cent of the replacement cost when devices are no longer covered on warranty.

Manitoba just announced that it will cover 80 per cent of the cost of sound processors for both adults and children every five years. That province expects to spend $352,000 annually for adult coverage.

B.C. also offers a cost-share program every six to seven years, with recipients pitching in less than $1,000.

The federal government covers the entire cost of new processors every five years for First Nations and Inuit people.

The executive director of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association, Lee Pigeau, said there is still a "postal code lottery" in Canada when it comes to covering upgrades and repairs of these mechanical devices.