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Are Hearing Aids Covered by Your Health Insurance?
One of the most common questions I hear is, “Does my insurance cover me for hearing aids?”
Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to provide an easy answer to this question without an extensive review of your insurance policy, which can be time consuming, frustrating, and confusing.
With many insurers covering certain levels of hearing care and some covering our All Inclusive package, the only way to know for sure is by checking your insurance benefits.
Our audiologists at Jacobs Audiology want to be sure that everyone who might benefit from hearing aids has access to them, so we include an insurance specialist on our team in order to answer your questions about insurance, check your coverage for you, and ensure that you get all the financial assistance you’re entitled to by your policy.
Frequently Asked Questions about Insurance Coverage for Hearing Aids
Q: Does my health insurance coverage provide benefits to purchase hearing aids?
Medicare and various private health insurance companies tend to provide limited coverage for a comprehensive hearing evaluation and hearing aids, but the extent of coverage varies between each provider and their different plan types.
Q: What devices, accessories, and services are covered by insurance?
To qualify for coverage with most policies, the device must address your specific hearing needs. Services related to selection, dispensing, fitting, repairs, and check-ups are also covered in most cases.
Q: What devices, accessories, and services are typically not covered by health insurance?
Devices, accessories, and services not typically covered by most health insurance policies include:
- Tinnitus maskers
- Group hearing loss screenings (like a health fair)
- Cost of hearing aid batteries and earmold replacement
- FM systems or accessories used with FM systems
- Pocket talkers
- “Back-up” or extra hearing aid(s)
- Disposable or non-electronic hearing aids and battery chargers
Q: What eligibility criteria must be met for hearing aid coverage?
Eligibility criteria for hearing aid coverage under most insurance policies include:
- Must present a valid audiogram, sound field speech audiometry, or equivalent testing methods certified by a licensed otologist, otolaryngologist (ENT), or audiologist.
- Must present written documentation recommending hearing aids from a licensed audiologist, ENT doctor, or otologist.
- The purchase and fitting of hearing aids must occur within six months from the date of the written recommendation.
Q: Which hearing care providers are allowed to bill my insurance for hearing services and hearing aids?
Licensed otologists, otolaryngologists (ENT), audiologists, and hearing instrument dispensers employed by outpatient hospitals and clinics will have to be certified by your insurance provider in order to bill for hearing aids and related services.
Q: Are the costs of hearing aids and hearing services allowed as a tax deduction?
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recognizes hearing aids and the necessary tests and visits to the audiologist to obtain and/or maintain the device as well as hearing aid batteries as valid tax deductions.
Our Insurance Specialist Can Check Your Insurance for You
Sorting through the fine print written in insurance jargon to determine your eligibility, deductible, extents/limits of coverage, and other related aspects of your health insurance coverage can be a nightmare. Fortunately, our insurance specialist is available to do the time-consuming, confusing, and frustrating work for you.
Our insurance specialist knows how to navigate the health insurance terrain of various insurance providers and coverages not only to discover whether your hearing care and/or hearing aids are covered but to also ensure that you receive all the financial benefits to which you’re entitled from your policy.
We accept major health insurance providers, including:
- Medicare
- All Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans
- United Healthcare
By letting our insurance specialist do the heavy lifting for you before your initial consultation, you and your audiologist can focus on working toward your better hearing health goals rather than worrying about how to pay for them.
HEALTH INSURANCE
Check My Health Insurance Coverage for Hearing Aids
If you are experiencing a hearing loss or hearing challenges that can be overcome by hearing aids, the Jacobs Audiology team wants to do our part to make sure you’re able to get them. We’ll help you determine if you’re covered by your health insurance and ensure that you receive all the financial assistance you’re entitled to by your policy.
Ask our insurance specialist to check your health insurance coverage for hearing aids by submitting the requested information in the adjacent form, and we’ll get back to you with what we find out.
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