Does Aetna Cover Hearing Aids?
- Most Aetna Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) plans cover hearing aids. Find out when Aetna Medicare will pay for hearing aids, how much they may cost and how to find Aetna plans where you live that cover hearing aids.
Nearly all Aetna Medicare Advantage plans may cover hearing aids, and some Aetna individual or employer-sponsored health insurance plans may cover hearing aids.
In this Aetna Medicare plans review, we detail the requirements when Aetna Medicare plans may cover hearing aids and how you can find an Aetna Medicare Advantage plan that fits your hearing care needs.
When Does Aetna Pay for Hearing Aids?
Aetna partners with NationsHearing to provide hearing aid coverage for most of its Medicare Advantage plans. If your Aetna Medicare plan pays for hearing aids, it may cover some or all of the costs for a routine hearing exam, hearing aid fitting, hearing aid maintenance and more.
Plan availability and benefits can vary, and there may not be Aetna Medicare Advantage plans where you live that cover hearing aids. You should be sure to compare plans available in your local area or call to speak with a licensed insurance agent to find out how much Aetna Medicare plans in your area will pay for hearing aids.
Medicare Advantage, also called Medicare Part C, is an alternative way to receive your Original Medicare benefits (Medicare Part A and Part B). Most Medicare Advantage plans like the ones from Aetna offer some extra benefits not found in Original Medicare such as coverage for vision, dental and hearing care, and nearly all Medicare Advantage plans cover prescription drugs.
Have Medicare questions?
Talk to a licensed agent today to find a plan that fits your needs.
What is NationsHearing Through Aetna?
Aetna Medicare Advantage plans cover hearing aids through a network of NationsHearing participating providers. Hearing aid benefits typically include one annual routine hearing exam and a hearing aid fitting, each covered at 100%. Most plans also include coverage toward the purchase of hearing aids.
NationsHearing is a hearing benefits organization that partners with health insurance companies like Aetna. Participating providers are located across the country and include audiologists and hearing aid specialists.
As an example of how Aetna Medicare Advantage plans provide hearing aid coverage, let’s take a look at one Aetna plan in particular: the Aetna Medicare Assure Plan, which is an HMO plan available in most areas. This plan provides coverage for:
- One routine hearing exam every year with no copay
- One hearing aid evaluation and fitting every year with no copay
- Two hearing aids every year with up to $2,500 in coverage for each ear
Like all Medicare Advantage plans, the plan also includes any hearing care that may be covered by Original Medicare such as basic hearing and balance exams needed to determine medical treatment and certain emergency care services.
Does Medicare Pay for OTC Hearing Aids?
Original Medicare does not pay for OTC (over-the-counter) hearing aids. That’s largely because OTC hearing aids are not yet available for purchase and must be prescribed by a doctor. However, the FDA proposed a rule in October 2021 to make over-the-counter hearing aids available to people with mild to moderate hearing loss.
It remains unclear if Original Medicare will pay for OTC hearing aids if they become available, but it’s worth noting that Medicare does not currently provide any coverage for routine hearing care. Original Medicare only provides coverage for hearing care during certain emergency situations or if a hearing test is needed in conjunction with a balance test to evaluate vertigo, dizziness or other such conditions.
Medicare will however provide coverage for cochlear or implantable hearing aids when considered medically necessary by a doctor.
Check to find out whether your Aetna Medicare plan will help pay for over-the-counter items, such as some hearing aid devices.
Have Medicare questions?
Talk to a licensed agent today to find a plan that fits your needs.
What Is My Aetna OTC Benefit?
Aetna recently expanded its coverage of OTC benefits through Health Solutions, a CVS Health Company. Aetna Medicare Advantage plans commonly include an OTC allowance that members can use to pay for certain over-the-counter health products at a pharmacy or through a catalog for home delivery.
It’s possible that if the FDA approves the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids that Aetna’s OTC benefit may be used for such a purchase.
How Much Does an Aetna Plan With Hearing Aid Coverage Cost?
Many Aetna Medicare Advantage plans that include hearing aid coverage have a $0 monthly premium. In the case of the Aetna Medicare Assure Plan detailed above, there is no premium to belong to the plan and no medical deductible. The plan includes an annual out-of-pocket maximum of $7,550.
Plan premiums and benefits can vary. Compare the Aetna Medicare Advantage plans available where you live to find out which plans may pay for hearing aids and fit your coverage needs.
