Original Medicare, which is parts A and B, does not cover hearing, dental or vision. Which means Medicare does not cover hearing aids. But don’t lose hope! There are other options.
Hearing Exams
It’s important to see a professional for a hearing exam, no matter what you decide to do.
Part B does cover diagnostic hearing and balance exams if your doctor or other health care provider orders them. However, Medicare doesn’t cover hearing aids or even the exams you need to fit them!
Does Medicaid Cover Hearing Aids?
Medicaid must cover them for children, and may cover them for adults, but it depends on your state. Get state-by-state hearing aid coverage information for adults.
Medicare Advantage vs Medicare Supplement Plans
There is a stark difference here between the two. Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plans typically do not cover hearing aids. But some Medicare Advantage plans do.
Medicare Advantage plans are either HMO‘s or PPO‘s. If yours is an HMO, you might have to purchase hearing aids through a network provider. If you get a PPO, you may be able to go outside of the network, but the cost may end up being greater than an in-network hearing aid.
If your Med Advantage plan doesn’t provide hearing coverage, you may be able to buy the equipment you need out of pocket through any provider you wish.
But most importantly, you can always add on a separate Dental, Vision and Hearing policy, and there are a number of companies that offer that. We can add on a Dental, Vision, and Hearing policy for you, regardless of what kind of Medicare plan you have.
What About Veterans?
The #1 service-related disability for veterans is hearing loss! If you’re a veteran, you have another option for paying for hearing aids: the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). If you already qualify for VA health benefits, then you may qualify for hearing exams and even paid-in-full hearing aids.
For more on this, check out this hearing aid eligibility summary, and the VA’s benefits guide (although on that huge VA page, you’ll have to hit Control-F and search for hearing aids to find it!)
Are There Over-The-Counter Hearing Aids?
There is a newer class of devices called personal sound amplification devices. These can cost from $30-500, which is much less than the prescribed hearing aids, which can run you from $1,000 – $6,000. With these newer, cheaper devices, the general guideline is that you get what you pay for. Still, they may be better than nothing, if you have no alternative.
