You can get hearing aids from audiologist offices, big-box retailers like Costco, online direct-to-consumer companies, and even some pharmacies and electronics stores. Since the FDA created a new over-the-counter category in 2022, adults 18 and older with mild to moderate hearing loss can buy hearing aids without a prescription, a medical exam, or a professional fitting. That opened up a much wider range of places to shop.
Audiology Clinics and Hearing Aid Dispensers
Private audiology clinics remain the most comprehensive option. Audiologists hold doctoral-level training and can diagnose the full spectrum of hearing disorders, program prescription-level devices, and manage conditions like tinnitus and auditory processing problems. When you buy through a clinic, the price typically bundles the device with fitting, follow-up adjustments, aftercare appointments, and a warranty. That bundled approach is one reason prescription hearing aids from a private practice run roughly $2,200 to $5,000 or more per pair.
Hearing instrument specialists (sometimes called hearing aid dispensers) are a step down in training. They’re state-licensed to evaluate common hearing loss in adults and fit hearing aids, but they don’t diagnose hearing disorders or treat related conditions. Their offices often carry the same major brands at similar or slightly lower prices. If your hearing loss is straightforward and you mainly need a well-fitted device, a dispenser can be a perfectly reasonable choice.
Big-Box Retailers
Costco is the biggest name here. Its in-store Hearing Aid Centers offer a free hearing test, professional fitting, and ongoing service appointments at no extra charge for devices bought there. Current brands include Philips, Jabra, Rexton, and Sennheiser, with pairs starting around $1,600. That’s a significant discount compared to private clinics, largely because Costco negotiates bulk pricing and absorbs the service costs into membership revenue. You do need a Costco membership to use the hearing aid center.
Walmart and Sam’s Club also sell hearing aids, both in stores and online, with a mix of OTC and prescription options depending on the location.
Online and Direct-to-Consumer Brands
A growing number of companies sell hearing aids entirely online, shipping devices to your door. Jabra Enhance, Audicus, Lexie, and Elehear all offer app-based setup, personalized sound adjustments, and remote audiology support so you can fine-tune your devices without visiting an office. Prices for these direct-to-consumer pairs typically start between $1,195 and $1,500.
The level of professional support varies. Jabra Enhance and Audicus include remote programming from audiologists and lifetime support. Lexie offers lifetime audiology services along with an app that provides four preset modes and ten personalized settings. On the budget end, Audien sells devices with touchscreen-controlled adjustments built into the charging case but provides no audiology support at all. If you’re comfortable with technology and have mild to moderate loss, the app-based brands can work well. If you want hands-on help, the lack of in-person service may be a drawback.
OTC Hearing Aids at Pharmacies and Electronics Stores
Since the FDA’s OTC rule took effect, you can pick up hearing aids at pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, electronics retailers like Best Buy, and general online marketplaces like Amazon. These are self-fitting devices designed for perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. No prescription, no audiologist visit, no medical exam required. You simply buy them off the shelf, adjust them using built-in controls or a smartphone app, and start wearing them.
OTC devices are only approved for adults 18 and older. Children and anyone with severe hearing loss still need prescription hearing aids, which in most states must be purchased through a licensed professional.
Through Insurance or Medicare Advantage
Original Medicare does not cover hearing aids. However, many Medicare Advantage plans from insurers like Humana, Anthem, Aetna, and UnitedHealthcare advertise hearing aid benefits. The catch is that these plans almost always fulfill that benefit through a third-party administrator, not through the insurer’s own provider network. Humana routes members through TruHearing. UnitedHealthcare uses United Health Hearing. Anthem and Aetna use Hearing Care Solutions.
This means your regular in-network audiologist may not be in the separate network maintained by the third-party company. You have to get your hearing aids from a provider approved by that third party, which can limit your choices. Before scheduling an appointment, call the number on your plan’s hearing benefit materials (not the general insurance line) to confirm which providers and locations are available to you.
Private insurance varies widely. Some employer plans cover part or all of the cost of hearing aids every three to five years. Others offer nothing. Check your specific plan’s summary of benefits, and ask whether the benefit is administered by a third party with its own provider list.
VA Hearing Aid Benefits for Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs provides hearing aids, repairs, and replacement batteries at no cost to eligible veterans. To access this benefit, you first register at the enrollment section of any VA Medical Center. You’ll typically need a copy of your DD-214, a driver’s license, and any health insurance information you have. You can also enroll online or by mail using Form 10-10EZ.
Once enrolled, you schedule an appointment at a VA Audiology and Speech Pathology Clinic. An audiologist evaluates your hearing and determines whether hearing aids are appropriate. If they are, the devices and all future servicing are covered as long as you maintain VA eligibility. Given that hearing loss is one of the most common service-connected disabilities, this is a benefit worth pursuing if you qualify.
How to Choose Where to Buy
The right place depends on the severity of your hearing loss, your budget, and how much professional guidance you want. If your loss is mild to moderate and you’re tech-comfortable, OTC or direct-to-consumer options in the $100 to $1,500 range let you skip office visits entirely. If you want professional fitting at a lower cost than a private clinic, Costco’s hearing centers are hard to beat at around $1,600 per pair with full service included. If your hearing loss is more complex, involves one ear more than the other, or comes with tinnitus or balance issues, an audiologist’s office gives you the most thorough evaluation and the widest range of prescription devices.
One practical tip: wherever you buy, confirm the return policy before committing. Most states require a trial period of 30 to 60 days for hearing aids, and many retailers and clinics offer longer windows. Hearing aids take time to adjust to, and the best way to know if a particular device and provider are right for you is to wear them in your actual daily life before the return window closes.