As we age, the likelihood of some level of hearing loss increases. Hearing aids are a natural solution to improve the situation. But does Medicare help pay for hearing exams and hearing aids? Well, not Original Medicare. Original Medicare doesn’t cover hearing aids or exams for fitting hearing aids…and typically a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan doesn’t either. However, if you have an all-in-one Medicare Advantage plan, you could get some help.
Some Medicare Advantage plans include extra benefits for hearing services, such as:
-A no-cost hearing exam
-Hearing aid discounts
-Annual allowances to purchase hearing aids
This could mean huge savings for Medicare beneficiaries with hearing loss. We are seeing more and more competition in the Medicare Advantage marketplace for hearing services. This is a positive development for Medicare beneficiaries, as they previously were required to pay up to $6,000-7,000 for a good pair of hearing aids on a cash-basis. Now, their Medicare Advantage plan might pick up a significant chunk of the cost, or potentially all of it, depending on what you need.
what are some other options to buy hearing aids at a lower cost if you don’t have a Medicare Advantage plan?
In this case, you’ll have to be more resourceful.
Some warehouse membership stores offer hearing aids at a significant discount. And for many Medicare beneficiaries with hearing loss, the hearing aids offered there could be perfectly sufficient. Some of these stores even offer product demos, hearing tests, follow-up appointments, cleanings, and check-ups at no cost. Additionally, there are hearing solution stores that have lower-priced hearing aids than the competition. Again, it’s a matter of shopping around and getting recommendations from others.
Another option is OTC (over-the-counter) hearing aids. The FDA approved OTC hearing aids in late 2022, which allowed retailers to sell hearing aids to those with mild-to-moderate hearing loss…without a prescription or audiologist fitting.
Reference Links
www.medicare.gov
Medicare & Hearing Aids
Medicare Advantage plans
FDA Approves OTC Hearing Aids
Neither Medicare Mindset LLC nor its agents are connected with the Federal Medicare program.
