Sorry for my response delay Michael. My implant was done when I was still on my employer's insurance. Cochlear Americas, my choice of CI brand, went to bat for me and succeeded in getting insurance coverage. I ended up paying about a $2000 co-pay then. I don't know the full cost of the procedure, but it was around $50K.

Medicare has covered the cost of upgraded processors for me three times since I was implanted. Yes, there was a co-pay for that too. Processor's are in the $15,000 range, and my cost has been 20%. There are some Medicare plans that fully cover CI surgery and CI upgrades. They vary by provider. I think they also vary by region of the country.