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Lifetime cost of unilateral cochlear implants in adults: a Monte Carlo simulation

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Abstract

Backround/Objective

Due to increasing prevalence of hearing loss and relaxation of candidacy criteria of cochlear implant (CI) supply, the number of implantations is likely to further increase. Statutory health insurances are facing ever more urgent financing challenges since CI treatment causes high life-long costs. Additionally, increasing life expectancy and earlier implantation may extend therapy time and cost. With every case being individual, this study aims to calculate the possible lifetime cost of unilateral CI treatment in adults including stochastic uncertainties.

Methods

Taking a statutory health insurance perspective, relevant cost components of CI therapy and their values were identified. The Monte Carlo method was used to simulate lifetime cost considering age at first implantation and distributions of costrelevant variables. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine the most crucial variables impacting on lifetime cost.

Results

Lifetime cost of CI treatment varies according to age at first implantation, respectively remaining lifetime; the earlier the implantation, the higher the overall cost. According to our simulation, the average lifetime cost for an adult patient first implanted between the age of 20–80 is at 53,030 € (present value). Cost of implantation and periodic speech processor exchanges show the highest impact on the total cost.

Discussion

Health care systems could face rising expenses for CI supply by technical development. Innovative life-long CIs could achieve significant savings per case that could finance additional implant cost. Until then, further targeted research will be required.

Conclusion

CI-related cost for statutory health insurance crucially depends on the patient-side demand for cochlear implants. Therefore, cost forecasts must also consider the development of demand.

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Funding

This research was funded by Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Grant number [03ZZ0914C].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Business Administration and Health Care Management, Faculty of Law and Economics, University of Greifswald, Friedrich-Loeffler-Str. 70, 17489, Greifswald, Germany

    Christin Thum & Steffen Fleßa

  2. Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany

    Thomas Lenarz & Anke Lesinski-Schiedat

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  1. Christin Thum
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  2. Thomas Lenarz
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  4. Steffen Fleßa
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Correspondence to Christin Thum.

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Thum, C., Lenarz, T., Lesinski-Schiedat, A. et al. Lifetime cost of unilateral cochlear implants in adults: a Monte Carlo simulation. Eur J Health Econ 21, 963–975 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-020-01188-7

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