Does Health Insurance Cover Hearing Aids?

Hearing Aid Coverage: A Significant Gap

Hearing aids are one of the most significant coverage gaps in the American health insurance system. A pair of prescription hearing aids typically costs $3,000–$7,000 or more from an audiologist, and most commercial health insurance plans — including ACA marketplace plans — do not cover hearing aids for adults. The ACA does not list hearing aids as an essential health benefit for adults, only for children.

What Health Insurance Does Cover for Hearing

While hearing aids are usually excluded, your health plan likely does cover:

• Audiologist visits for diagnostic hearing evaluations (as a specialist visit)
• Hearing tests ordered by a physician to diagnose a medical condition
• Treatment for medically diagnosed conditions causing hearing loss (infections, tumors, etc.)
• Cochlear implants when medically necessary (these are covered by most plans as a medical device, unlike hearing aids)
• Pediatric hearing aids: required as an essential health benefit for children under 19 on ACA plans

Medicare and Hearing Aids

Traditional Medicare (Parts A and B) does not cover hearing aids or routine hearing exams. Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans from private carriers may include hearing benefits — this has become a common differentiator between MA plans in recent years. If you are Medicare-aged and need hearing aids, comparing MA plan hearing benefits is worthwhile.

Lower-Cost Hearing Aid Options

Since 2022, FDA regulations allow over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss, available without a prescription at major retailers including Costco, Walgreens, and Best Buy. OTC hearing aids typically cost $200–$1,500 — far less than prescription devices. HSA and FSA funds can be used for OTC hearing aids as well as prescription hearing aids.