Asking for a friend, right? Nah, don’t be silly. Hearing loss is a real thing! According to the National Institute on Deafness & Other Communication Disorders, 8.5% of adults age 55-64 experience significant hearing loss. Technology today has created some pretty incredible hearing aids to solve this problem, however they can be rather pricey. It may not seem possible to put a price tag on the sound of your grandchild’s voice that warms your heart, a honking horn in traffic that keeps you safe, a movie you’d like to enjoy with your spouse, or your favorite song but the reality is that, given how far they’ve come, the average cost of hearing aids in 2020 is around $2,500 each.
Individual insurance policies do not typically cover hearing aids and neither does original Medicare (parts A&B). Therefore a Medicare Supplement, such as the most commonly known Plan F, does not cover them either. Supplements only extend coverage to what original Medicare covers first so if it’s excluded by parts A&B, it’s excluded by the Supplement as well.
Some Medicare Advantage plans will offer coverage for hearing aids with a copayment. Medicare Advantage plans, such as the Blue Medicare Choice PPO from Florida Blue, take the place of original Medicare. They function more like an individual under-65 health plan in that they have copays, coinsurance, deductibles, out of pocket maximums and prescription drug coverage built in. These plans usually have a lower monthly premium but more out of pocket expenses for medical services. The Florida Blue Advantage plan that we have and are most familiar with has a copay of $699-$999 per hearing aid (with up to two aids per year), depending on the details of the aid itself.
Hearing aids and any available insurance coverage for them varies from plan to plan and company to company. If you’re considering them, please talk with your doctor and your insurance advisor to fully understand what may be available to you. We’re happy to hear out any questions you may have.
