Wisonsin may soon be the first state requiring health insurance companies to pay for cochlear implants, hearing aids, and other hearing treatment for children under the age if 18. Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle has promised to sign the bill into law. The costly implants, which can carry a price tag of $50,000, have traditionally been excluded from insurance policies. However, for children with severe hearing problems, they could mean the difference between a productive, successful life, and one fraught with challenges and handicaps. The cochlear implants transmit an electrical signal which triggers nerves that facilitate hearing. The devices are critical for very young children, as they can have a severe impact on acquiring language skills. Those involved in the bill feel that allowing children a chance to succeed in school and acquire a job as adults will have a positive impact on the community as a whole. How will insurance companies respond to this? What precedents will this set for other treatments which are currently not covered by insurance companies?