Many Anthem Medicare Advantage plans include a yearly hearing aid allowance (verified 2027 examples: $0 copay up to $3,000 for prescription aids, through Anthem's approved hearing vendor), while Anthem employer and marketplace plans cover hearing aids only where a state mandate or the employer adds the benefit.
By Lilly Seay · Updated October 2026
Anthem's 2027 Summary of Benefits documents show most of its Medicare Advantage plans bundle a routine hearing benefit with real money behind it, but the amount depends heavily on the plan. The Anthem Medicare Advantage 2 (HMO-POS) plan H6988-010 in New York covers 1 routine hearing exam per year at $0, plus each year either a $300 maximum plan benefit for over-the-counter hearing aids OR a fitting evaluation and a $3,000 maximum plan benefit for prescribed hearing aids, at $0 copay up to the maximum. Its Medicare-covered diagnostic hearing exam drops from a $50 copay in 2026 to $40 in 2027. Anthem's Full Dual Advantage D-SNP in Virginia (H4694-004) keeps the same $300 OTC / $3,000 prescribed structure for 2027. Other 2027 plans we opened are smaller: $2,000 for prescribed aids on Ohio PPO H4036-026, $1,500 on CareMore Medicare Advantage 2 H0544-002 in Southern California, and $500 on Colorado HMO-POS H4346-012. The plan documents limit you to one pair per year, require a device from the covered list of 'our approved vendor', say aids from an unauthorized vendor are not covered, and note prescribed aids may need prior authorization. Always confirm the 'Hearing Services' row of your own Evidence of Coverage.
Anthem sells individual and family plans in its 14 states, and adult hearing aid coverage exists only where state law requires it. Within Anthem's footprint, three states mandate coverage for adults as well as children: Connecticut (all ages, one aid per ear every 24 months regardless of cost, expanded to adults effective January 1, 2020), Maine ($3,000 per ear every 3 years, all ages since January 1, 2020), and New Hampshire ($1,500 per aid every 60 months, all ages). Nevada is one of three states (with Arizona and Hawaii) whose ACA benchmark plan includes hearing aid coverage, so individual and small-group plans there must provide comparable coverage. Children-only mandates apply in Colorado (one aid per ear every 5 years, no dollar cap), Georgia (up to $3,000 per ear every 48 months, ages 18 and under), Kentucky ($1,400 per aid every 36 months, under 18, plus state employees), Virginia ($1,500 per aid, one per ear every 24 months, under 18, you can pick a pricier aid and pay the difference with no penalty), and Wisconsin (no dollar cap, one per ear every 3 years, under 18, including cochlear implants). Missouri and Ohio also have children's mandates (under 18 in Missouri, 21 and under in Ohio), according to the American Academy of Audiology's 2026 state mandate table. California, Indiana and New York have no private-insurance hearing aid mandate. To check any specific Anthem plan, open its Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) and look at the 'Excluded Services & Other Covered Services' section for the words 'hearing aids.'
If your Anthem coverage comes through work, the answer depends on how the plan is funded. Fully insured employer plans issued in a mandate state must follow that state's hearing aid law — so a fully insured Anthem plan in Connecticut, Maine, or New Hampshire covers adult hearing aids, and plans in the children's-mandate states cover kids. Self-funded (ERISA) employer plans are exempt from state mandates: the employer decides the benefits and Anthem only administers the plan, so hearing aids are covered only if your employer chose to include them. Some employers do add a hearing benefit, and Hearing Care Solutions/TruHearing administers hearing benefits across commercial, employer group, group retiree, and Medicare Advantage product lines — so a benefit may exist even if you've never used it. Your Summary Plan Description or benefits portal, or your HR team, gives the definitive answer.
Anthem-branded Medicaid managed care plans operate in California (Medi-Cal through Anthem Blue Cross), Indiana (Hoosier Healthwise, Hoosier Care Connect, Healthy Indiana Plan), Kentucky, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Virginia (HealthKeepers Plus), and Wisconsin (BadgerCare Plus), with sister brand Wellpoint (formerly Amerigroup) serving other states. Hearing benefits follow each state's Medicaid rules, not a single Anthem policy: children under 21 get hearing aids in every state through the federal EPSDT requirement, while adult hearing aid coverage varies state by state. If you have an Anthem Medicaid plan, your member handbook or the member services number on your card can confirm your state's exact hearing aid benefit and prior-authorization rules.
Anthem members get hearing discounts through the SpecialOffers program inside the anthem.com member portal. NationsHearing's Anthem page lists hearing aids priced from $599 to $2,275 each with a free hearing test, a 60-day money-back guarantee, a three-year warranty, a three-year supply of batteries, and three no-cost follow-up adjustments; call 877-391-8625 (TTY: 711) to schedule. Other vendors may appear in your state's SpecialOffers listing, so check the portal for current offers. These are discounts, not insurance: they don't require any hearing benefit on your plan.
Three changes matter for Anthem members. First, TruHearing announced on April 17, 2025 that Hearing Care Solutions (HCS), the long-time administrator of Anthem's hearing aid benefits, was merging into the TruHearing brand, with full integration effective January 1, 2026; Anthem's provider page confirms the vendor name changed from Hearing Care Solutions to TruHearing on that date. Anthem's 2027 plan documents only say 'our approved vendor', so ask Member Services which hearing network your 2027 plan uses. Second, the Academy of Doctors of Audiology reported that starting July 1, 2025, Anthem began routing hearing claims, mainly on Medicare Advantage plans, through the HCS/TruHearing arrangement across its 14 states, with some claims denied as 'misrouted' when submitted directly. That is one more reason to start with the benefit administrator rather than walking into any audiology office. Third, for 2027 the New York plan we checked lowered its diagnostic hearing exam copay from $50 to $40, while keeping the $3,000 prescribed hearing aid benefit. Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, 2026. Anthem's parent renamed itself Elevance Health in June 2022, but your card and plan documents still say Anthem.
Sometimes; it depends entirely on which Anthem plan you have. Many Anthem Medicare Advantage plans include a real hearing aid benefit for 2027: verified plan documents show $0 copay up to a yearly maximum for prescription hearing aids ($3,000 on the New York and Virginia plans we checked, less on others) or $300 for over-the-counter aids, through Anthem's approved hearing vendor. Employer and ACA marketplace plans cover hearing aids only where state law requires it: Connecticut, Maine and New Hampshire mandate adult coverage, and several other Anthem states mandate children's coverage. Original Medicare and many Anthem commercial plans exclude hearing aids entirely, so check your own plan documents.
Verified 2027 Anthem Summary of Benefits documents for a New York HMO-POS plan (H6988-010) and a Virginia Full Dual Advantage D-SNP (H4694-004) show the same structure as 2026: one routine hearing exam per year at $0, then each year either a $300 maximum plan benefit for over-the-counter hearing aids or a fitting evaluation plus a $3,000 maximum plan benefit for prescribed hearing aids, at $0 copay up to the maximum. Other 2027 plans we opened pay less for prescribed aids: $2,000 in Ohio (H4036-026), $1,500 in Southern California (H0544-002), and $500 in Colorado (H4346-012). Some plans skip hearing aids altogether, so confirm the Hearing Services section of your own Evidence of Coverage or call the number on your card.
Both names have been correct, which confuses a lot of people. Hearing Care Solutions administered Anthem's hearing aid benefits for years. On April 17, 2025, TruHearing announced that Hearing Care Solutions was merging into the TruHearing brand, with full integration effective January 1, 2026, and Anthem's provider page confirms the name change on that date. Anthem's 2027 plan documents just say 'our approved vendor', and going outside that network can mean the allowance won't apply. Call Member Services and they'll route you to the right scheduling line.
Only in certain states, honestly. Anthem's fully insured plans must follow state mandates: Connecticut requires coverage for all ages (one aid per ear every 24 months), Maine requires $3,000 per ear every 3 years for all ages, and New Hampshire requires $1,500 per aid every 60 months. Nevada's ACA benchmark plan includes hearing aids too. In Anthem's other states — including California, New York, Ohio, and Indiana — adult hearing aids are typically excluded unless your employer added a hearing benefit. Self-funded (ERISA) employer plans set their own rules regardless of state law, so check your SBC's 'Excluded Services & Other Covered Services' section or ask HR.
In most Anthem states, yes, thanks to state children's mandates and Medicaid. State-regulated Anthem plans must cover kids' hearing aids in Colorado (one per ear every 5 years, no dollar cap), Georgia (up to $3,000 per ear every 48 months), Kentucky ($1,400 per aid every 36 months), Virginia ($1,500 per aid every 24 months), Wisconsin (no cap, every 3 years, including cochlear implants), plus Connecticut, Maine, and New Hampshire, which cover all ages. The American Academy of Audiology's 2026 table also lists children's mandates in Missouri (under 18) and Ohio (21 and under). Every Anthem Medicaid plan covers hearing aids for children under 21 through the federal EPSDT rule. California, Indiana and New York lack private-plan mandates, so coverage there depends on your specific plan.
You still have useful options. Log into anthem.com and open SpecialOffers, Anthem's member discount program: NationsHearing sells hearing aids to Anthem members for $599 to $2,275 each, including a free hearing test, 60-day money-back guarantee, three-year warranty, and three years of batteries, at 877-391-8625 (TTY: 711). Also consider FDA-regulated over-the-counter hearing aids for mild-to-moderate loss. And if you're near 65, note that many Anthem Medicare Advantage plans include a hearing aid allowance, up to $3,000 per year on the 2027 plans we checked.
While you sort out coverage, the Hearing Buddy app gives you live captions on your phone — free, instantly.