UNSPSC 42144001: Implanted hearing device external sound processors

In this classification, this commodity indicates a product providing external sound processors used in association with implanted hearing devices. US FDA regulates Implanted hearing device external sound processors under 21 CFR 874.33 and under FDA product code ESD. Most nations, for tariff and trade purposes, schedule these products under HS 901890.

UNSPSC 42144001 Implanted hearing device external sound processors, a Commodity code, encompasses hearing aids and related hearing technology supplied through state and local education and health service procurement. State and local governments soliciting under this code purchase hearing aids and external sound processors as components of broader special education catalogs and durable medical equipment (DME) programs serving populations with hearing loss, including students in special education and adults with traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury. The issuing bodies include education cooperatives managing multi-district purchasing, state health and human services agencies, and their member organizations. Procurement vehicles typically employ cooperative purchasing arrangements that aggregate demand across multiple member entities and support multi-vendor awards, allowing vendors to reach numerous end-user organizations through a single contract.

Recent activity centers in Texas, where Region 7 Purchasing Cooperative (Kilgore) issued a catalog discount bid (SPE2628) for special education supplies with a two-year contract value of $2,713,541 and a response deadline of October 1, 2026, and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) issued a master contract RFP (HHS0017173) for DME and services across eleven geographic regions with an estimated annual value of approximately $1,000,000 and cumulative cap of $5,000,000, due June 2, 2026. The HHSC procurement explicitly includes hearing aids within its DME scope, requires current medical device manufacturer or distributor licensure under Texas Health and Safety Code Section 431, and mandates a 21.1 percent HUB utilization goal with mandatory subcontracting plan submission. Respondents to the HHSC contract must meet experience, financial solvency, insurance, and service delivery standards including 24-hour emergency repair response and compliance with CMS DMEPOS quality standards and Medicare/Medicaid provider requirements.