Getting hearing aids covered by insurance is possible, but the path depends on the type of insurance you have and the state you live in. Original Medicare does not cover hearing aids at all, most private plans offer limited or no coverage unless your state requires it, and Medicaid varies wildly from state to state. The good news: more coverage options exist than most people realize, and there are concrete steps you can take to maximize what you’re eligible for.
Check Whether Your State Requires Coverage
More than 20 states have passed laws requiring private health insurance plans to cover hearing aids, though many of those mandates only apply to children. States with coverage for both children and adults include Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, and New Hampshire. If you live in one of these states and have a state-regulated private plan, your insurer is legally required to help pay for hearing aids.
The dollar limits and replacement timelines vary significantly. Arkansas caps coverage at $1,400 per hearing aid every three years. Connecticut allows $1,000 every 24 months. New Hampshire offers $1,500 per aid but only every five years. Illinois stands out by covering hearing aids annually, with provisions for earlier replacement if your hearing changes significantly.
States that mandate coverage for children only include Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Oregon. Some of these are generous: Oregon covers up to $4,000 per aid every four years, and Georgia allows up to $3,000 per ear every four years. Others, like New Jersey, cap coverage at $1,000 per aid every two years for children 15 and under.
One important detail: these mandates typically apply to state-regulated insurance plans. If your employer self-insures (meaning the company pays claims directly rather than buying a policy from an insurer), state mandates may not apply. Large employers often self-insure. You can find out by calling the number on your insurance card and asking whether your plan is “fully insured” or “self-funded.”
Medicare: What’s Covered and What Isn’t
Original Medicare (Parts A and B) does not cover hearing aids or hearing aid fitting exams. You pay the full cost out of pocket. This is one of the most well-known gaps in Medicare coverage, and it has not changed despite years of legislative proposals.
Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) are the workaround. These are private plans that replace Original Medicare, and many of them include hearing benefits as an extra. Coverage varies by plan: some offer an annual allowance toward hearing aids, others cover specific brands or provide discounted pricing through partner networks. When shopping for or renewing a Medicare Advantage plan during open enrollment, compare the hearing benefit details carefully. Look for the dollar amount covered, whether the plan restricts you to certain providers or brands, and how often you can replace your devices.
Medicaid Coverage for Adults
Medicaid is required to cover hearing aids for children in every state, but adult coverage is optional. As of the most recent national survey, 28 states provide some level of hearing aid coverage for adults through Medicaid. Eighteen states do not, and the rest didn’t report.
Even in states that offer adult coverage, restrictions can be tight. North Dakota, for instance, only covers hearing aids for adults with sudden sensorineural hearing loss or hearing problems tied to acute illness or injury. Utah limits coverage to congenital conditions. New Mexico excludes hearing aids from its alternative benefit plan for most adults, covering only 19 and 20 year olds. To find out what your state’s Medicaid program covers, contact your local Medicaid office or check your state’s benefits handbook online.
VA Benefits for Veterans
If you’re a veteran enrolled in VA healthcare, hearing aids are provided at no cost. The VA covers the devices themselves, all repairs, and replacement batteries for as long as you maintain your eligibility for VA care. You don’t need a service-connected hearing loss diagnosis to qualify. Any veteran who is enrolled in the VA healthcare system and has a clinical need for hearing aids can receive them. This is one of the most comprehensive hearing aid benefits available through any program.
How to Build a Successful Insurance Claim
If your insurance plan does offer hearing aid coverage, the process typically starts with a hearing evaluation from a licensed audiologist. Your audiologist will conduct a test that measures how well you hear tones at different frequencies and how well you understand spoken words. These results form the basis of your medical necessity documentation.
Before scheduling a fitting, call your insurer and ask specific questions: Does the plan cover hearing aids? Is there a dollar limit per device or per ear? How often can devices be replaced? Do you need prior authorization? Is there a network of approved audiologists or hearing aid providers you must use? Getting these answers upfront prevents surprises.
If your claim is denied, you have the right to appeal. Ask your audiologist to provide a letter of medical necessity that explains how hearing loss affects your daily functioning, safety, and communication. Include your audiogram results. Many initial denials are overturned on appeal, particularly when the documentation clearly connects hearing loss to functional impairment.
Using HSA and FSA Funds
Hearing aids, including over-the-counter models, are eligible expenses under both health savings accounts (HSAs) and flexible spending accounts (FSAs). This means you can use pre-tax dollars to pay for devices, effectively reducing the cost by your marginal tax rate. If you’re in a 22% tax bracket, paying $3,000 for hearing aids through an HSA saves you $660 compared to paying with after-tax income. You can also use these accounts to cover copayments if your insurance only pays part of the cost.
OTC Hearing Aids and Insurance
Since the FDA established a new category of over-the-counter hearing aids in 2022, these devices have become available without a prescription for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. Most private insurance plans do not yet cover OTC hearing aids, but the landscape is evolving. It’s worth asking your insurer directly whether any reimbursement applies. Even if the answer is no, OTC devices typically cost between $200 and $1,500 per pair, significantly less than prescription hearing aids that can run $2,000 to $7,000 per pair.
Financial Assistance Programs
Several nonprofit organizations provide hearing aids at reduced cost or for free to people who don’t have adequate insurance coverage. These programs each have their own eligibility requirements, usually based on income, age, or both.
- Hear Now (Starkey Hearing Foundation) assists people with limited financial resources who permanently reside in the U.S.
- The HIKE Fund provides hearing devices to children from birth through age 20 whose families cannot afford them.
- Miracle-Ear Children’s Foundation offers free hearing aids and services to children up to age 16 in families whose income doesn’t qualify them for public assistance.
- Easter Seals provides referrals to local financial aid programs and offers assistance for assistive technology.
- Travelers Protective Association (TPA) Scholarship Trust offers financial aid to children and adults with hearing impairment for devices, treatment, and specialized education.
- Alexander Graham Bell Association provides grants focused on rehabilitation and education for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation offers medical grants for children whose commercial insurance doesn’t fully cover needed equipment, including hearing aids.
- AUDIENT connects income-qualified adults to hearing aids and audiological care at significantly reduced costs.
Many audiologists and hearing aid retailers also offer payment plans that spread the cost over 12 to 24 months, sometimes interest-free. Some manufacturers run trade-in programs or offer refurbished devices at lower prices. If you’re exploring these options, ask your audiologist what financing or discount programs their practice participates in.