What funding sources are available to help pay for hearing aids?

The first step in figuring out funding is to check with your health insurance provider. Some plans might offer partial coverage, while others might not cover hearing aids and other assistive devices at all for children. A few helpful questions to ask might include:

• Do you cover hearing aids for children? If so, is there an annual cap?
• How many hearing tests are covered?
• Are parts like earmolds and batteries included? If so, how many parts are covered annually?
• Is this covered under durable medical equipment or hearing services?
• Is prior authorization required?

If your health insurance doesn’t cover your child’s hearing aids, there are alternative funding options that may offset these costs:

• For children with low-incidence disabilities like hearing loss, there’s a helpful federal program called Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT). Through EPSDT, services such as hearing aids, audiology testing, and related care may be fully covered. Even if your child already has private insurance, Medicaid can often be used as secondary coverage. Your child might qualify for your state's Medicaid program either based on household income or through programs that waive income limits due to medical needs.

• It’s very rare for school districts to cover the cost of hearing aids. In some cases, if hearing-related supports are considered essential for your child to access their education and this is clearly written into their IEP, then the school district may be responsible for providing them. Realistically, you are more likely to get assistive technology written into the IEP than hearing aids.

• If you have a teen who’s starting to transition into adulthood, your state's vocational rehabilitation department might be a great resource to explore. They also offer support through d/Deaf and hard of hearing counselors, audiology and hearing aid assessments, and assistive listening technology or rehabilitation devices to help your child communicate and thrive in everyday life.

• There are also plenty of assistance programs that can help families afford hearing aids, cochlear implants, and the services that come with them. Some programs offer full or partial financial help for the devices themselves, while others cover things like audiology appointments, fittings, and repairs. Here are some to consider:

  • Hear Now
  • The HIKE Fund
  • Miracle-Ear Foundation
  • AUDIENT Alliance
  • Travelers Protective Association Scholarship Trust for the Deaf and Near-Deaf (TPA)

For more information, see our full article Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) 101.