Most Aetna Medicare Advantage plans include a real hearing aid allowance through NationsHearing, but most Aetna employer plans exclude hearing aids unless a state mandate or an employer-purchased benefit adds them.
By Lilly Seay · Updated July 2026
Most Aetna Medicare Advantage plans cover a routine hearing exam and hearing aids each year through NationsHearing (part of NationsBenefits), Aetna's hearing partner since 2021 — the routine exam is $0, and the per-ear allowance varies widely by plan and county. Verified published examples include $750 per ear per year on the Aetna Medicare SmartFit PPO, $1,250 per ear on plans in North Carolina and Arizona, $2,000 per ear on a California plan, and $1,000 per ear on a 2026 Texas D-SNP. Allowances reset every January 1, and most plans allow two aids per year (one per ear). On most plans, hearing aids are only covered when purchased through NationsHearing, though some plans instead use a direct member reimbursement setup — you buy from any licensed provider and submit the itemized receipt — and your Evidence of Coverage says which one you have. Aids bought through NationsHearing include a 60-day, 100% money-back guarantee, a 3-year repair warranty, one-time lost/stolen/damaged replacement (deductible typically $175–$225), 3 years of batteries for non-rechargeable models, and three follow-up visits in the first year (after that, providers may charge up to $65 per visit within 12 months of fitting).
Aetna's Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans for people with both Medicare and Medicaid typically carry solid hearing allowances. One verified 2026 example: the Aetna Medicare Dual Care HMO D-SNP (H8597-003) serving 19 Texas counties pays a $1,000 allowance per ear per year for up to two hearing aids, with $0 routine hearing exams and $0 fittings. D-SNP members may also get Medicaid hearing coverage on top of the plan allowance, depending on their state's rules. The exact figure for your plan is in its Evidence of Coverage under 'Hearing services.'
Aetna no longer sells ACA individual and family plans anywhere. CVS Health announced on May 1, 2025 that Aetna would exit the individual exchange business, and coverage for about 1 million members in 17 states ended December 31, 2025. If you had an Aetna marketplace plan, you needed to pick a new carrier for 2026 — and hearing aid coverage on the replacement depends on that carrier and your state. A handful of states — including Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont — require individual-market plans to cover adult hearing aids, and many more require coverage for children. Check any new plan's Summary of Benefits and Coverage under 'Excluded Services & Other Covered Services' for the words 'hearing aids.'
Aetna's own clinical policy bulletin on hearing aids (CPB 0612) says plainly that most Aetna benefit plans exclude coverage of hearing aids — but there are two big exceptions, and they hinge on how your plan is funded. Fully insured employer plans must follow state insurance mandates: Arkansas requires $1,400 per aid every 3 years, Maine $3,000 per aid every 36 months, New Hampshire at least $1,500 per aid every 60 months, Rhode Island $1,750 per aid per ear as of January 1, 2026, and Washington at least $3,000 per ear every 36 months on large-group and public-employee plans, while Connecticut (one per ear every 24 months), Illinois (one per ear every 36 months, since 2025), Vermont (one per ear every 3 years) and Minnesota (group plans, since mid-2023) require adult coverage with no dollar cap — and many more states require coverage for children. Self-funded (ERISA) employer plans are different: federal law exempts them from state mandates, the employer chooses its own benefits and Aetna only administers them — so some large employers add a hearing aid benefit while most don't. Your Summary Plan Description or SBC is the only document that settles it. When aids are covered, Aetna requires documented hearing loss and FDA-cleared devices prescribed by an appropriate professional. (Aetna's federal-employee FEHB plans are covered on a separate page.)
Aetna Better Health runs Medicaid plans in more than a dozen states — including Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia — though the roster shifts as state contracts turn over. Hearing aid coverage follows each state's Medicaid benefit: children under 21 are covered in every state under EPSDT, while adult coverage varies — some states pay for hearing aids, fittings, repairs and replacements, and others cover little or nothing for adults. Call the member services number on your Aetna Better Health ID card or check your state's member handbook to confirm what your state covers and whether prior authorization is needed.
Aetna members on plans without a funded hearing benefit can often use the Aetna hearing discount program through NationsHearing: hearing aids from more than 1,200 makes and models starting as low as $600, a free hearing test, 3 years of batteries (non-rechargeable models), a 3-year repair warranty, three first-year follow-up visits, and a 60-day, 100% money-back guarantee regardless of the reason for return — call 877-274-5144 (TTY: 711). As part of CVS Health, Aetna members can also buy FDA-regulated over-the-counter hearing aids at CVS for mild-to-moderate loss without a prescription. For context on how Aetna stacks up: KFF's June 2026 analysis found that 95% of individual Medicare Advantage enrollees have access to hearing exams and/or aids as a supplemental benefit — so having a hearing benefit is common, and the real differences between carriers are the dollar caps, where Aetna's verified $750–$2,000 per-ear examples are competitive but still often less than premium hearing aids cost.
It depends on which Aetna plan you have. Most Aetna Medicare Advantage plans do cover hearing aids — a per-ear allowance through NationsHearing (verified examples run $750 to $2,000 per ear per year), plus a $0 routine hearing exam. Most Aetna employer plans, on the other hand, exclude hearing aids; Aetna's own clinical policy bulletin says so directly. Exceptions exist when your state mandates coverage on fully insured plans or your employer added a hearing benefit. Aetna Better Health Medicaid plans follow each state's Medicaid rules. The fastest check: call the number on your ID card and ask if your plan has a hearing aid benefit.
It varies by plan and county, so there is no single number. One verified 2026 figure: the Aetna Medicare Dual Care HMO D-SNP in Texas pays $1,000 per ear per year. Other published examples run from $750 per ear on the Aetna Medicare SmartFit PPO to $1,250 per ear on plans in North Carolina and Arizona and $2,000 per ear on a California plan. Most plans cover two aids per year — one per ear — with a $0 routine exam, and the allowance resets every January 1. Your exact figure is on the 'Hearing services' line of your Evidence of Coverage, or call NationsHearing at 877-225-0137.
Usually, yes. On most Aetna Medicare Advantage plans, hearing aids are only covered when you buy them through NationsHearing's national network. The trade-off is a good one: aids bought through NationsHearing come with a 60-day, 100% money-back guarantee, a 3-year repair warranty, one-time loss/damage replacement (deductible typically $175–$225), three first-year follow-up visits, and 3 years of batteries on non-rechargeable models. Some plans instead use a reimbursement allowance that lets you buy from any licensed provider and submit the itemized receipt — your plan's Evidence of Coverage says which setup you have, so check the 'Hearing services' section before you shop.
Honestly, most don't — Aetna's clinical policy bulletin on hearing aids states that most Aetna benefit plans exclude them. But check before assuming. If your employer's plan is fully insured in a state with a hearing aid mandate — Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington all require adult coverage on at least some plan types, and many more states cover children — coverage is required by law. If your employer self-funds its plan, federal ERISA law lets it choose its own benefits, and some do include hearing aids. Look for 'hearing aids' in your Summary Plan Description, or call Member Services. If there's no coverage, the NationsHearing discount (877-274-5144) still cuts prices substantially.
No — Aetna left the ACA individual marketplace entirely as of January 1, 2026. CVS Health announced the exit on May 1, 2025, and coverage for about 1 million members in 17 states ended December 31, 2025. If you previously had an Aetna exchange plan, your hearing aid coverage now depends on your new carrier and your state: a handful of states — including Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont — require individual-market plans to cover adult hearing aids, and many more require pediatric coverage. When comparing replacement plans, open each plan's Summary of Benefits and Coverage and look under 'Excluded Services & Other Covered Services' for hearing aids.
It follows your state's Medicaid rules. For children under 21, yes — every state's Medicaid program must cover medically necessary hearing aids under EPSDT, and Aetna Better Health administers that benefit everywhere it operates, including Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas and Virginia. For adults it genuinely varies: some states pay for hearing aids, fittings and repairs, while others cover little or nothing. Call the member services number on your Aetna Better Health ID card and ask about your state's adult hearing aid benefit and whether prior authorization or a recent audiogram is required.
While you sort out coverage, the Hearing Buddy app gives you live captions on your phone — free, instantly.