Will Medicare pay for hearing aids?

Rico asked...

My father has medicare/medicaid. He just had a hearing test and was advised he needs hearing aids on both ears. Will medicaid or medicare cover the cost of the hearing aids?

Expert Answer

Medicare, no, Medicaid, maybe. Medicare Part B does not cover routine hearing exams or hearing aids. Medicaid, however, may cover some of the cost of hearing aids, depending on the state you live in. That's because each state operates its own Medicaid program, and each program has slightly different rules and coverage. To find out if the Medicaid program in your state covers hearing aids, and how to go about getting that coverage for your father if it does, contact your state's Medicaid office. You can get to the state Medicaid office by going to their Web site. Using any Internet search engine, enter the word Medicaid and the name of your state. That will get you to the state Medicaid site. Then enter "hearing aids" in the site's own search engine, which will then provide you with information on the state's coverage, if any, for hearing aids. Or, you can call the Medicaid office's consumer information phone number, which will also be provided on the Web site, and ask them about coverage for hearing aids.