Cost analysis for CPT L8619 — Cochlear implant, external speech processor and controller, integrated system, replacement
Average Medicare Payment
$7293.42
2023 data
Total Payments (2023)
$32.5M
Services (2023)
4.5K
Price Change (2014–2023)
+20.7%
| Year | Avg Payment | Total Payments | Services | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | $6041.06 | $12.6M | 2.1K | — |
| 2015 | $6154.75 | $13.2M | 2.1K | +1.9% |
| 2016 | $6091.18 | $16.4M | 2.7K | -1.0% |
| 2017 | $6143.11 | $22.7M | 3.7K | +0.9% |
| 2018 | $6214.41 | $19.8M | 3.2K | +1.2% |
| 2019 | $6362.61 | $23.0M | 3.6K | +2.4% |
| 2020 | $6499.79 | $19.3M | 3.0K | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $6563.93 | $27.1M | 4.1K | +1.0% |
| 2022 | $6805.71 | $29.7M | 4.4K | +3.7% |
| 2023 | $7293.42 | $32.5M | 4.5K | +7.2% |
The most expensive state pays 1.0x more than the cheapest for this procedure. NC averages $7356.71 vs CA at $7191.69.
| Provider | Specialty | State | Payments | Services | Avg/Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cochlear Americas | All Other Suppliers | CO | $23.4M | 3.2K | $7313.35 |
| Advanced Bionics, Llc. | Pharmacy | CA | $5.9M | 816 | $7191.69 |
| Med-El Corporation | All Other Suppliers | NC | $3.1M | 420 | $7356.71 |
| Susan Rathgeb | Audiologist | MO | $117.0K | 16 | $7311.92 |
Based on the data, CPT L8619 shows a 1.0x variation in pricing across states — relatively consistent by Medicare standards.
Costs have increased 20.7% since 2014. Medicare's fee schedule attempts to standardize pricing, though some variation is expected due to geographic cost-of-living adjustments and practice expense differences.
This analysis is based on publicly available CMS data and does not account for patient complexity, comorbidities, or facility-specific factors that may justify pricing differences.
Note: All data is from publicly available Medicare records. OpenMedicare is an independent journalism project not affiliated with CMS.