Cochlear implant upgrades should be free: Labor MP

Hearing impaired Australians should have access to free cochlear implant processor upgrades, according to a Labor MP.

Queensland's Kevin Rudd has called on the Federal government to commit to providing severely deaf Australians with ongoing access to the technology.

Rudd, the Member for Griffith, said that of Australia's 72,000 severely or profoundly deaf people, 2000 were fitted with a cochlear implant, costing $5000 to $10,000 each.

He said these were people for whom the less expensive option of a hearing aid was not suitable.

The device comprises a permanent internal implant and an external speech processor component that requires updating and replacement every two to five years.

The replacement implants are currently part of Health Minister Kay Patterson's review of private health, which is to determine whether or not private funds will still reimburse the cost of the upgrades.

Rudd said the decision had been deferred in February and with the review not expected to be finalised until an undisclosed date "later this year", patients were being left in limbo.

"It was now mid-way through June and cochlear implantees have no idea what will happen next," Rudd told Federal parliament this week.

"They wait in the hope that the health minister and the Federal government will see that they have a genuine need and continue to facilitate access to speech processors."

He said that under existing funding, only 80 per year of the 1000 necessary replacements would be made available through Australian Hearing Services to child recipients aged up to 21.

In reply to Rudd's comments, Liberal MP Alan Cadman said the government spent $209.5 million to treat hearing impairment last year and told the public not to worry.

"The government has this situation covered, it is going to look after young people with hearing impairment and is going to continue to expand the hearing program," Cadman said.

A spokeswoman from the Department of Health and Aged Care said replacements and upgrades would continue to be funded pending the outcome of the review.

Asked when the review was due for completion, Lyn Larkin said, "The government will be considering the advice it receives from its interdepartmental committee later this year".

New face on Cochlear board

Meanwhile, the device's maker, Cochlear (ASX: COH), announced that from next Monday, July 1, Prof Edward Byrne would join its board as a director.

The Professor of Experimental Neurology as the University of Melbourne, Byrne is director of the university's Centre for Neuroscience and chairs Neurosciences Victoria.

Cochlear chairman Prof David Pennington said the company was delighted to welcome the highly respected scientist to the board.

"He brings an invaluable knowledge of medicine and a world renowned insight into neuroscience to the board," Pennington said. "These skills are vital as we continue to pursue our growth strategy through a focus on the patient and also technology leadership".