Does Medicare Cover Hearing Aids?
If you’re someone who’s hard of hearing and in need of financial assistance, you’ve probably asked yourself this.
After all, hearing aids can be expensive. They require the devices themselves, costly batteries, proper fitment, and it helps to have them covered.
Below, we’ll get into Medicare’s coverage of hearing aids, so keep on reading!
Does Medicare Cover Hearing Aids? Here’s What Medicare Says
So, does Medicare cover hearing aids?
It depends on what kind of plan you have.
Overall, there are 4 different Medicare “parts.”
Part A covers your hospital, hospiceHospice is a special way of caring for people who are terminally ill. Hospice care involves a team-oriented approach that addresses the medical, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of the patient...., and nursing care. Part BMedicare Part B is medical coverage for people with Original Medicare benefits. It covers doctor visits, preventative care, tests, durable medical equipment, and supplies. Medicare Part B pays 80 percent of most medically necessary healthcare... covers preventative and necessary care, including seeing doctors before surgeries.
These first two plans are known as Original MedicareOriginal Medicare is private fee-for-service health insurance for people on Medicare. It has two parts. Part A is hospital coverage. Part B is medical coverage.....
Part C plans are known as Advantage Plans. They often cover all of the services offered by Medicare and then some.
Part DMedicare Part D plans are an option Medicare beneficiaries can use to get prescription drug coverage. Part D plans provide cost-sharing on covered medications in four different phases: deductible, initial coverage, coverage gap, and catastrophic. Each... plans cover your prescription drugs.
Unfortunately, Medicare has made it very clear on its website that it does not cover hearing aids under Parts A or B (Original Medicare).
It also does not cover exams. Under Original Medicare, you will be paying for your hearing-related services completely out-of-pocket.
Are There Any Exceptions?
Fortunately, yes!
Medicare Part AMedicare Part A is hospital coverage for Medicare beneficiaries. It covers inpatient care in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. It also covers limited home healthcare services and hospice care.... and Part cover major medical costs. But, Medicare Advantage Plans have the option to include additional health benefits, including hearing, vision, and dental. These plans are offered through private companies and provide similar coverage to Medicare.
Medicare recommends contacting your plan to see whether or not your hearing-related services are covered.
Why Does Medicare Make It So Difficult To Find Out If A Plan Covers Hearing Aids?
To put it simply: different plans offer different coverage.
Often, what is and isn’t offered differs by state and county as well, so the availability of hearing aid coverage might depend on your location. This is true of all Medicare Advantage plansMedicare Advantage (MA), also known as Medicare Part C, are health plans from private insurance companies that are available to people eligible for Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B)...., which have regional benefits, costs, and providers.
The Hearing Loss Association of America recognizes this, and they offer help to find the coverage that best fits your needs.
Why Won’t Original Medicare Cover My Hearing Aids?
This harkens all the way back to 1965.
Back then, The Medicare Act of 1965 chose to exclude hearing aid coverage from Medicare, stating that hearing aids were low in cost and routinely needed.
In addition, people did not live as long, so fewer people suffered from hearing loss related to age. This made it less urgent for Medicare to cover hearing-related healthcare at the time.
Sadly, because of a lack of coverage, most people on Medicare are not receiving the hearing care that they need. As mentioned above, however, there are exceptions.
Want to See What Medicare Plans Are Available for You?
Now that you know the answer to the question “Does Medicare cover hearing aids?” you might be wondering how to find out enroll in your perfect plan.
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