ACE Technology Guidances

The Ministry of Health’s MTAC has recommended subsidy for:

a. Unilateral bone conduction hearing implant (BCHI) system in patients if they are:

• Diagnosed with moderate-to-severe conductive hearing loss (CHL) or mixed hearing loss (MHL) in one or both ears; AND

• Assessed by the attending healthcare professional to be:
  • Ineligible, or did not sufficiently benefit from surgery, conservative treatment, or conventional hearing aid; AND
  • Showing stable bone conduction thresholds (≤15 dB deterioration in more than two frequencies over at least a six-month period).

b. Unilateral bone conduction wearables (i.e. bone conduction sound processor with soft-band or headband) in children younger than five years old or without adequate mastoid thickness to support an implant if they are:

• Diagnosed with moderate-to-severe CHL or MHL in one or both ears; AND

• Assessed by the attending healthcare professional to be:
  • Ineligible, or did not sufficiently benefit from surgery, conservative treatment, or conventional hearing aid; AND
  • Showing stable bone conduction thresholds (≤15 dB deterioration in more than two frequencies over at least a six-month period), unless there are special clinical conditions deemed appropriate by the attending healthcare professional to warrant immediate fitting of the bone conduction wearables (e.g. children born with microtia or congenital aural atresia).

c. Patients with moderate-to-severe CHL or MHL in one or both ears who had previously received bone conduction wearables can be eligible for subsidy of unilateral BCHI system if deemed by the attending healthcare professional to be clinically suitable and likely to receive sufficient benefit from BCHI system.

d. Children (<18 years old) with moderate-to-severe CHL or MHL in one or both ears who are using BCHI system or bone conduction wearables can be eligible for subsidy for the replacement of BCHI sound processors (including replacement with or without upgrade where an upgrade refers to a change to a later model than currently used by the individual) if the following criteria are met:

• The child is deemed by the attending healthcare professional to be receiving sufficient benefits from BCHI, and demonstrating continued need for BCHI; AND

• The existing BCHI sound processor has been used for at least five years, and its deterioration in performance is deemed by the attending healthcare professional to warrant replacement for achieving optimal hearing.
  

BCHI and bone conduction wearables are recommended for inclusion on the MOH Medical Technology Subsidy List (MTSL). Listed models are recommended for subsidy when used in line with the abovementioned recommendations.

Subsidies will not apply to devices and accessories that are not included in the standard or replacement packages of BCHI devices, including replacement of, or upgrades to, internal implants.