Some Medicare Advantage plans, an alternative to original Medicare, offered by private insurers and known as Medicare Part C, include additional benefits, such as hearing aid coverage. Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids or hearing aid fitting tests. You pay 100% of the cost of hearing aids and exams. There is currently no coverage available for Original Medicare hearing aids (Part A and Part B).
However, there are Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) that do cover the cost of hearing aids. Details of what Medicare will pay for when it comes to hearing aids, hearing tests and other hearing care. People who attend a hearing exam in the hospital's outpatient department will be required to pay a copay directly to the health care provider. As a practicing audiologist since the 1990s, Brad Ingrao, AuD has installed thousands of hearing aids for seniors and people of all ages.
In some cases, Medicare may cover hearing tests if your doctor orders them along with another medical problem. It's hard to say if and when people who receive Medicare can take advantage of expanded hearing benefits in the future. You can change plans annually, so you may want to look for a plan with comprehensive hearing benefits if your current plan doesn't offer this coverage. Even if you don't have Humana, a Medicare Advantage plan is the best way to get comprehensive hearing coverage.
Original Medicare, and even many private insurance companies, choose not to cover hearing aids because of their cost. If you are one of the 12.2 million people dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid, you may have coverage for hearing aids through Medicaid. Over the years, many organizations and legislators have tried to update Medicare to cover the costs of vision, hearing and dental services for seniors. Unfortunately, Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B) does not consider hearing aids to be medically necessary.
If you are looking for a new Medicare Advantage plan and want a policy with extensive coverage for hearing aids, visit the Find a Medicare Plan page and follow the instructions for Medicare Advantage plans. Anyone who puts off learning more about hearing aids because of concerns that they are too visible should find some comfort in today's technological advancements. If you have Medicare and need help paying for a hearing aid, there are some programs that might offer you some help. Another option for married seniors is to check your spouse's private health insurance policy (if any) to see if it covers hearing aids.
You will then return to follow-up appointments to adjust the hearing aids and customize them to your specific needs.
