Does health insurance cover a hearing aid?
Hearing aids aren't a required federal benefit for adults, so most health plans don't cover the devices — though a diagnostic hearing test often is covered, and some states mandate coverage for children.
What flips the answer
- Covered when
You live in a state that mandates hearing-aid coverage (most often for children) and your plan is state-regulated.
- Covered when
You have a Medicare Advantage or employer plan that specifically adds a hearing-aid benefit or allowance.
- Not covered when
You have a standard adult health plan or Original Medicare — the diagnostic exam may be covered, but the hearing aid itself typically isn't.
Hearing aids are not one of the Affordable Care Act's essential health benefits, and Original Medicare doesn't cover them either. So for adults, most standard health plans exclude the devices, or offer only a limited allowance or discount rather than full coverage.
The diagnostic side is treated more favorably: a hearing exam ordered by a doctor to diagnose a medical problem is often covered as a medical service, even when the hearing aid itself isn't. And some Medicare Advantage plans add a hearing-aid benefit that Original Medicare lacks.
Children are frequently a mandated exception: many states require the plans they regulate to cover hearing aids for kids. If insurance won't pay, hearing aids are a qualified medical expense you can cover with FSA or HSA funds.
Many states require state-regulated plans to cover hearing aids for children, and a smaller number extend a mandate to adults; self-funded employer plans aren't bound by these mandates.
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