If you have Medi-Cal, hearing aids are covered — adults get up to $1,510 per year toward hearing aids and related services (and that cap can be exceeded when medically necessary), while kids under 21 are covered in full with no cap. California does not yet require private insurance to cover hearing aids, but the state runs a free Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program (HACCP) for families without Medi-Cal earning under 600% of the federal poverty level. Free specialty phones and telecom equipment are also available to anyone with hearing loss through California Connect.
By Lilly Seay · Updated July 2026
Medi-Cal restored the adult hearing aid benefit on Jan 1, 2020. Adults 21+ have a $1,510 per-person cap per state fiscal year (July 1–June 30) covering hearing aids, molds, supplies, an initial set of batteries, rental, and six visits for fitting/adjustment/training with the same vendor; hearing exams and audiology testing are covered separately. The cap can be exceeded with prior approval when medically necessary, and replacements for aids lost, stolen, or irreparably damaged (with documentation) don't count against it. Replacement batteries are only paid for members under 21 — adults get one standard battery packet with a new aid and buy batteries after that. Pregnant members and members under 21 are exempt from the cap. Most members receive the benefit through their Medi-Cal managed care plan; prior authorization and a hearing evaluation are required.
Federal EPSDT law (42 U.S.C. § 1396d(r)(4)) requires every state — California included — to cover hearing aids for Medicaid-enrolled children under 21 at no cost to the family. Children and youth under 21 with full-scope Medi-Cal get medically necessary hearing aids fully covered under EPSDT with no dollar cap — exams, fittings, molds, repairs, and replacement batteries included. California's CHIP funding is folded into Medi-Cal (there is no separately branded CHIP plan), so families simply apply for Medi-Cal through their county or CoveredCA.com. Children with qualifying conditions may instead get hearing services through California Children's Services (CCS).
California has no hearing aid insurance mandate. Bills to require children's coverage have repeatedly failed — Gov. Newsom vetoed SB 635 in October 2023 (his second veto of such a bill, after 2019), pointing to the state-run HACCP program instead. SB 331, the 'Let California Kids Hear Act,' is still moving in the 2025-26 session — it cleared the Assembly Health Committee 14-0 on July 1, 2026 and sits in Assembly Appropriations — and would require large-group plans issued on or after Jan 1, 2027 to cover medically necessary hearing aids for enrollees under 21, but as of July 2026 it has not become law. Self-funded ERISA employer plans would be exempt in any case.
Statute: None enacted (SB 331 pending)
Remember: state mandates only reach state-regulated ("fully insured") plans. Self-funded employer plans — covering about two-thirds of insured workers — are exempt under federal ERISA law. One question to HR settles which kind you have.
California's market is dominated by a handful of big names: Kaiser Permanente, Blue Shield of California, Anthem Blue Cross, Health Net, and Molina lead the 11 carriers on Covered California for 2026, Kaiser is the largest Medicare Advantage insurer in the state, and Medi-Cal members mostly get their hearing aid benefit through managed care plans like L.A. Care, Health Net, Molina, Anthem, and Kaiser.
California's largest Medicare Advantage carrier and a leading Covered California insurer, with a direct statewide Medi-Cal contract since 2024. Some Kaiser Medicare plans include hearing aid coverage or an optional Advantage Plus add-on that provides it through Kaiser's own hearing centers — amounts vary by plan, so check your Evidence of Coverage.
One of the leading insurers on Covered California for 2026. Because California has no hearing aid insurance mandate, hearing coverage on its individual and employer plans varies by plan — review your benefits summary or call member services to check.
Sells Covered California and Medicare Advantage plans and serves Medi-Cal members in many counties, including as a subcontracted plan in Los Angeles County. Its Medi-Cal members get the state's adult hearing aid benefit (up to $1,510 per year); commercial plan coverage varies since California has no mandate.
A Centene company and long-time Medi-Cal and Covered California carrier. Its Wellcare by Health Net Medicare plans may include hearing exams, hearing aids, batteries, and fittings depending on the plan — the hearing vendor is listed in each plan's Evidence of Coverage.
Offers Covered California plans and serves Medi-Cal members in several regions. Medi-Cal members receive the state hearing aid benefit through the plan, with prior authorization required for hearing aids.
The nation's largest publicly operated health plan, serving Los Angeles County Medi-Cal members and also selling Covered California plans. Members get Medi-Cal's hearing aid benefit — up to $1,510 per year for adults, full coverage for kids — through the plan with an approved authorization request.
The second-largest Medicare Advantage carrier in California. Its Medicare plans typically run hearing benefits through the UnitedHealthcare Hearing network, which offers both prescription and over-the-counter hearing aids; specific coverage varies by plan.
Yes. Medi-Cal restored its adult hearing aid benefit in 2020, and adults 21 and over get up to $1,510 per state fiscal year (July 1–June 30) toward hearing aids, earmolds, supplies, an initial set of batteries, and six fitting and adjustment visits. That cap can be exceeded with prior approval when medically necessary, and replacements for lost, stolen, or damaged aids don't count against it. Most people receive the benefit through their Medi-Cal managed care plan — such as L.A. Care, Health Net, Molina, Anthem, or Kaiser — with a hearing evaluation and prior authorization required. Kids under 21 are covered in full with no cap.
No — California has no law requiring private insurance to cover hearing aids, so it depends entirely on your plan. Governor Newsom vetoed a children's coverage bill (SB 635) in 2023, pointing families to the state-run Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program instead. A new bill, SB 331 (the "Let California Kids Hear Act"), is still moving through the legislature — it cleared the Assembly Health Committee in July 2026 and would require large-group plans to cover hearing aids for enrollees under 21 starting in 2027 — but it hasn't become law. Check your plan documents or call your insurer to see what's included.
You have real options. Families without Medi-Cal earning under 600% of the federal poverty level can get children's hearing aids free through the state's Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program (HACCP). If you qualify for Medi-Cal, adults get up to $1,510 a year toward hearing aids and kids are covered in full. The Department of Rehabilitation may help pay for hearing aids you need for work, California Children's Services helps eligible kids, and Ability Tools offers device lending and reuse. California Connect also provides free amplified and specialty phones to anyone in the state with hearing loss.
HACCP is California's state-run program that provides hearing aids and related services at no cost to children whose families don't have Medi-Cal and earn under 600% of the federal poverty level. Because California doesn't require private insurance to cover hearing aids, HACCP is the state's main safety net for privately insured families whose plans won't pay — Governor Newsom has pointed to it directly when vetoing insurance-mandate bills. If your child needs hearing aids and your insurance says no, HACCP is the first place to look; it exists precisely for families in that gap.
Many do, but benefits vary widely by plan and county, and Original Medicare still doesn't cover hearing aids at all. Kaiser Permanente — California's largest Medicare Advantage carrier — includes hearing aid coverage on some plans and offers an optional Advantage Plus package that adds it on others. UnitedHealthcare, the state's second-largest MA carrier, typically runs hearing benefits through its UnitedHealthcare Hearing network, and Humana and Anthem Blue Cross also offer plans with hearing extras. Before enrolling or during open enrollment, check each plan's Evidence of Coverage for the hearing aid allowance and which providers you must use.
While you sort out coverage, the Hearing Buddy app gives you live captions on your phone — free, instantly.