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Check My Candidacy
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Cochlear Implant Center

Hear What
Comes Next.

For the late-deafened adult who hasn't heard rain in years. For the parent staring at an audiogram they can't read. For the veteran whose audiologist finally said "hearing aids aren't enough anymore."

Check My CandidacyLearn how it works

2,400+

implants performed

94%

patient satisfaction

Free

candidacy consultation

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A morning appointment

Your first visit takes about two hours. You leave knowing whether you're a candidate.

Insurance usually covers it

Medicare, Medicaid, and most private plans cover cochlear implants for qualifying candidates.

You talk to a person

Our care coordinators are former patients or family members who have lived this journey.

Candidacy

Who is a cochlear implant for?

Most people who come to us were told for years that they "weren't ready yet." The criteria are more accessible than you think.

Standard candidacy criteria

  • Moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss
  • Limited benefit from properly fitted hearing aids
  • No medical contraindications to surgery
  • Strong motivation and realistic expectations
  • Cochlear nerve intact and functional

Not sure if you meet these criteria? That's exactly what our free candidacy consultation determines.

Margaret, 56, sharing her cochlear implant candidacy journey in a warm clinical setting

"I didn't think I qualified either."

Margaret, 56 — implanted 2024

The Process

From evaluation to hearing again

The unknown is what makes it terrifying. Here is exactly what happens, from your first phone call to the morning you hear your name spoken clearly.

01
1–2 visits
Candidacy Evaluation
02
2–3 hours
Surgery Day
03
3–6 weeks
Healing Period
04
A morning you'll remember
Activation Day
05
Ongoing
Rehabilitation
Phase 011–2 visits

Candidacy Evaluation

Audiological testing, imaging, and medical clearance. You meet your surgeon and ask every question you have.

Includes pure-tone audiometry, speech recognition testing, CT or MRI of the cochlea, and a consultation with your implant surgeon.

What to expect

Hearing test (1.5 hours)
CT or MRI scan
Meet your surgeon

Click each phase to explore the timeline

Evidence & Stories

The data and the people behind it

Numbers tell part of the story. The rest arrives in handwritten notes and voicemails we weren't expecting.

Clinical Outcome

Speech understanding, before & after

87%

avg. sentence recognition

Before implant
After implant (6 months)

Based on 240 adult patients at Cochlea, 2022–2025. AzBio sentence test in quiet.

A woman hearing sound for the first time after cochlear implant activation, her hands over her mouth in wonder

Activation Day

"I forgot what birds sounded like."

Eleanor Marsh, 61 — 4 weeks post-activation

"

After 11 years of silence, the first sound I heard was rain on the window. I just sat there and cried.

PO

Patricia Okafor

Late-deafened adult, 58

"

My son said 'mama' for the first time on activation day. He was two and a half. I still can't talk about it without—

LV

Leila Vasquez

Parent — son implanted at 18 months

By the numbers

2,400+

Implants performed

94%

Patient satisfaction

6 weeks

Avg. wait to activation

From our patients

"Three tours, three different audiologists, and finally someone said 'you're a candidate.' I wish I'd asked sooner."

JW

James Whitfield

U.S. Army veteran, implanted 2023

"The phone. I can use the phone again. That's what I missed most — calling my mother."

NS

Nadia Sheridan

Bilateral implant recipient, 44

Check My Candidacy

Free consultation · No obligation · Results in 48 hours

The sounds people tell us they missed most

We ask every patient, before surgery, what they are hoping to hear again.

Rain on glass

2,400 Hz

A clock ticking

1,000 Hz

Your name spoken

300–3,000 Hz

A child's laugh

500–2,000 Hz

Music

Full spectrum

Birds outside

2,000–8,000 Hz

A phone call

300–3,400 Hz

A daughter's breath

100–500 Hz

1
2
3
Step 1 of 3

Check My Candidacy

Three quick questions, then a member of our team will call you within one business day.

Who is this for?

The Cochlea Family Guide

Not ready to call? Download our 24-page guide — candidacy criteria, surgery explained, activation day, and what to expect in the first year.

Before you call

The consultation is free

No cost, no commitment. We answer your questions and determine if a full evaluation makes sense.

Insurance usually covers it

Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurers cover cochlear implants for qualifying candidates.

You speak to a person, not a portal

Our care coordinators are former patients or family members. They know this journey from the inside.

Prefer to call directly?

1-800-555-1234