Why doesn't Medicare cover hearing aids?

Original Medicare's coverage rules separate diagnosing a medical condition from correcting it with a personal device. Medicare.gov lists hearing aids and the exams used to fit them as not covered, and states that you pay all costs for those services. Diagnostic hearing and balance exams ordered by your provider remain covered under Part B.

How much does a hearing exam cost with Medicare?

For a covered diagnostic hearing or balance exam, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after you meet the yearly Part B deductible, and other costs may apply. In a hospital outpatient setting, you also pay the hospital a copayment. Medicare advises asking your provider in advance how much the test will cost.

Can I see an audiologist without a referral under Medicare?

Medicare.gov says you can visit an audiologist once every 12 months without an order from your health care provider, but only for non-acute hearing conditions such as hearing loss that developed over many years, or for diagnostic services related to hearing loss treated with surgically implanted hearing devices. Other diagnostic exams need an order from your doctor or provider to be covered by Part B.

Do Medicare Advantage plans pay for hearing aids?

Some Medicare Advantage Plans offer extra hearing benefits that Original Medicare does not cover, according to Medicare.gov, but the details vary from plan to plan. Contact the plan directly or read its Evidence of Coverage to find out what is included and what you would pay. No general guide can tell you what a specific plan covers.

Does Medicare cover over-the-counter hearing aids?

No. Over-the-counter hearing aids have been available in the U.S. since an FDA rule took effect in 2022, generally for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, but Original Medicare does not cover hearing aids of any kind. You would pay the full cost yourself.

Does Medicare Cover Hearing Aids?

The short answer is no. Original Medicare does not pay for hearing aids, and it does not pay for the exams used to fit them either — you pay all costs for both. What Medicare does cover is the diagnostic side: Part B covers hearing and balance exams when your doctor orders them to find out whether you need medical treatment, and after you meet the yearly Part B deductible you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount. Some Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C) offer extra hearing benefits beyond Original Medicare, but those differ from plan to plan, so you have to ask the plan directly. As of October 2026, this is still the rule.

The Detailed Answer

Medicare.gov lists hearing aids plainly under “Not Covered.” The page reads: “Medicare doesn’t cover hearing aids or exams for fitting hearing aids,” and “You pay all costs for non-covered services, including hearing aids and exams.”

That means two separate bills land on you. The device itself is one. The fitting appointment — where an audiologist takes measurements, programs the aid and adjusts it to your hearing loss — is the other. Neither is covered under Original Medicare (Part A and Part B).

The line Medicare draws is between diagnosing a hearing problem and correcting one. Diagnosis is medical care. Correction with a hearing aid is treated as a personal device, the way eyeglasses mostly are.

This matters because many people assume that if the hearing test is covered, the hearing aid must be partly covered too. It is not. Knowing the split before your first appointment lets you ask the audiologist’s office exactly which part of the visit Medicare will pay for and which part you will be billed for.

As of this writing in October 2026, the rule is unchanged. Coverage rules and the dollar amounts attached to them can change from year to year, so check Medicare’s hearing aids page before you make a decision based on this article.

What Part B does cover: diagnostic hearing and balance exams

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers diagnostic hearing and balance exams “if your doctor or other health care provider orders them to find out if you need medical treatment,” according to Medicare.gov. Balance exams include fall-risk evaluation.

The cost-sharing works like most Part B services: after you meet the yearly Part B deductible, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount. Other costs may apply. If the exam happens in a hospital outpatient setting, you also pay the hospital a copayment.

The Part B deductible changes every year, so rather than quote a figure, check the current amount at Medicare’s costs page.

There is also a route that doesn’t need a doctor’s order. Medicare.gov says you can visit an audiologist once every 12 months without an order from your health care provider, but only for two situations: non-acute hearing conditions, such as hearing loss that has developed over many years, and diagnostic services related to hearing loss treated with surgically implanted hearing devices.

Medicare Advantage (Part C) and hearing benefits

Medicare Advantage Plans must cover everything Original Medicare covers. Beyond that, Medicare.gov notes that some Medicare Advantage Plans “offer extra benefits that Original Medicare doesn’t cover - like vision, hearing, or dental,” and advises: “Contact the plan for more information.”

What that hearing benefit actually includes — which devices, which providers, how much you pay, how often you can use it — is set by each plan, not by Medicare. No general article can tell you what your plan pays. Read the plan’s Evidence of Coverage, the document that spells out exactly what is covered, or call the plan’s member services number on your card and ask about hearing aids and fitting exams specifically.

What this means for your out-of-pocket costs

If you are on Original Medicare, budget for the full price of hearing aids and the fitting visit. Medicare.gov’s standing advice applies here: “Ask your doctor or healthcare provider how much your test, item, or service will cost.”

The same page adds a caution worth repeating: your doctor may recommend services that Medicare does not cover, or offers less often than you’d like, and that can lead to extra costs. Ask why a service is being recommended and what Medicare will actually pay before you agree to it.

Over-the-counter hearing aids have been sold in U.S. stores since an FDA rule took effect in 2022, generally intended for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. Medicare still does not cover them, but they changed the price range people encounter. That is a conversation to have with your doctor or audiologist, not a substitute for a diagnostic exam.

Does Medicare cover hearing aids in 2027?

As of October 2026, Medicare.gov still lists hearing aids as not covered under Original Medicare, and there is no change to report. Coverage rules are set each year, so rather than rely on a prediction, check the hearing aids page at Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE when the new plan year begins. Dollar amounts such as the Part B deductible are updated annually as well.

Does Medicare pay for a hearing test?

Yes, when it is diagnostic. Part B covers hearing and balance exams ordered by your doctor or health care provider to determine whether you need medical treatment, and you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the yearly Part B deductible. An exam done solely to fit a hearing aid is a different service and is not covered.

Does Medicare cover anything for tinnitus?

Part B can cover a diagnostic hearing and balance exam ordered by your provider to find out whether ringing in the ears points to a condition needing medical treatment. Devices sold specifically for tinnitus relief are not hearing-aid coverage under Original Medicare. If you are considering supplements marketed for ringing in the ears, read our honest look at whether supplements help tinnitus first — the evidence is thinner than the advertising suggests.

Do cochlear implants count as hearing aids under Medicare?

They are treated differently. Medicare.gov’s hearing exam page specifically mentions diagnostic services related to hearing loss treated with surgically implanted hearing devices, which are a separate category from the hearing aids listed as not covered. Because implant coverage depends on meeting medical criteria, ask your doctor whether the procedure would be considered medically necessary for you, and confirm the details with Medicare directly.

Where to Get Official Answers

Hearing loss is common after 60, and it is worth getting evaluated rather than waiting it out. Talk to your doctor about whether a diagnostic hearing and balance exam is medically necessary for you — that order is what makes the exam a covered Part B service. Also tell your doctor or pharmacist about hearing changes, ringing or dizziness, since some prescription and over-the-counter medicines can affect hearing and balance, and balance problems raise fall risk. If you are reviewing your whole routine, our guide to what supplements a 70-year-old woman should take covers how to bring that list to a pharmacist.

For coverage questions, go to the source rather than to anyone selling something:

Medicare.gov — the official program website, including the hearing aids and hearing & balance exams coverage pages.
1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048 — available to answer coverage questions directly.
Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) — free, one-on-one counseling from trained local counselors who do not sell insurance. Find yours through Medicare’s talk-to-someone page.

If you are in a Medicare Advantage Plan, add one more call: your own plan, using the member services number on your card, and ask for the hearing benefit in writing.

Sources:

Medicare.gov — Hearing aids coverage — States that Medicare doesn’t cover hearing aids or fitting exams, that you pay all costs, and that some Medicare Advantage Plans offer extra hearing benefits.
Medicare.gov — Hearing & balance exams coverage — Part B covers diagnostic hearing and balance exams when ordered; 20% coinsurance after the Part B deductible; once-every-12-months audiologist visit without an order in two situations.
Medicare.gov — Medicare costs — Where readers check the current year’s Part B deductible and other cost figures.
Medicare.gov — Talk to someone — Source for 1-800-MEDICARE, the TTY number, and free State Health Insurance Assistance Program counseling.
FDA — OTC Hearing Aids consumer information (search “OTC hearing aids” on fda.gov) — FDA consumer information on the over-the-counter hearing aid category established by the 2022 rule for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.