More deaf adults get second cochlear implant paid for
Adults who are deaf or severely hard of hearing in both ears can now have a second cochlear implant reimbursed, the healthcare institute Zorginstituut Nederland announced.
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Illustrative photo: Sten van Houwelingen / CC BY-SA 4.0
Zorginstituut Nederland has widened who can have a second cochlear implant paid for. The reimbursement has applied since 27 October 2026 and covers adults who are deaf or severely hard of hearing in both ears.
Why it matters
- Adults who are deaf or severely hard of hearing in both ears now qualify for a second implant.
- Until now, adults only had the right to a second implant if they were deaf from meningitis, or both deaf and blind.
- Children already had implants for both ears reimbursed.
Other deaf or severely hard of hearing adults could get only one implant reimbursed. In the other ear they often wear a hearing aid, which does not work well enough for some people.
Children already had implants reimbursed for both ears. Adults had that right only if they were deaf from meningitis, or both deaf and blind.
The Zorginstituut reviewed several scientific studies and concluded that a second implant adds value. People can tell sounds apart better in a noisy room, it says, which makes them more self-reliant and less quickly tired.
The Zorginstituut expects 60 to 100 patients a year to receive a second implant under the new rule.
More on health care
Zorginstituut Nederland
The Netherlands Care Institute is the independent Dutch government body that assesses which care and medicines should be covered by the basic health insurance package (basispakket) under the Health Insurance Act. It advises the Minister of Health on whether a treatment or device is effective, necessary and affordable enough to be reimbursed. Its decisions shape which treatments, such as a second cochlear implant for adults who are deaf in both ears, are paid for by standard health insurance.