> BC Medical tends to get a pile of funding every couple years for CI patients, like 10 million or whatever, and out of that pile they prioritize younger adults who need at least one CI to be able to hold down a job, people whose equipment is starting to fail, etc. If there's any left after everyone who needs one CI or replacement equipment has got what they need, they can offer second implants. They've never gotten that far down the list though.

That sounds like a relatively reasonable methodology... I would really like to see the balance sheets of these companies to see how much they're gouging us -- I refuse to believe that what's essentially a condom and plastic tweezers really costs $700.