Coverage depends entirely on your specific plan — some Cigna employer plans fund hearing aids and marketplace plans cover them where states require it, while Cigna's Medicare plans were sold to HCSC and now run as HealthSpring.
By Lilly Seay · Updated July 2026
If you had a Cigna Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, or Part D plan, it didn't disappear — it changed hands. HCSC completed its purchase of Cigna's Medicare businesses (Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, Part D, and CareAllies) on March 19, 2025 — roughly 3.6 million Medicare customers in all — and those plans now carry the HealthSpring name for 2026. Benefits, networks, and providers carried over; the name on the card changed, and members received new HealthSpring ID cards. Hearing benefits on 2026 HealthSpring plans are described in the next section. For service, call the number on your HealthSpring ID card; plan documents live at healthspring.com.
HCSC says routine hearing benefits are included in all 2026 HealthSpring Medicare Advantage plans. The clearest published example: 2026 plan data for HealthSpring TotalCare (HMO D-SNP), plan H4513-075, lists a $0 copay for a routine hearing exam, a $0 copay for a hearing aid fitting/evaluation, prescription hearing aids at a $399–$1,800 copay per device (your exact cost depends on the technology level you choose), and OTC hearing aid kits at a $399 copay. Copays and device limits differ by plan and county, so check your own plan's Summary of Benefits and Evidence of Coverage. Hearing Care Solutions administers hearing benefits for these Medicare members — 1-866-872-1001 — and you generally must use the plan's contracted hearing vendor for aids to be covered, so confirm the vendor named in your plan documents before you book. Medicaid may pick up cost-sharing for dual-eligible members.
Cigna sells individual/family plans in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Adult hearing aids are mandated in only one of those states: Illinois, where an all-ages mandate effective January 1, 2025 (215 ILCS 5/356z.30) requires state-regulated plans to cover a prescribed hearing aid — one per ear every 36 months, with no dollar cap specified. Children's hearing aids are mandated in Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. To check any specific plan, open its Summary of Benefits and Coverage and read the 'Excluded Services & Other Covered Services' list for 'hearing aids.' Important: Cigna announced on April 30, 2026 that it will exit the ACA exchanges, so its roughly 369,000 marketplace members will need a new carrier for 2027.
Cigna's own medical coverage policy for hearing aids (Policy 0093, effective 5/15/2026) says it plainly: 'Coverage for hearing aid devices varies across plans.' The distinction that decides your rights: fully insured Cigna plans must follow hearing aid mandates in the state where the policy is issued, while self-funded employer plans (very common with Cigna) are exempt from state benefit mandates under federal ERISA law and set their own benefits — Cigna only administers them. In practice, benefits range from nothing, to a fixed dollar allowance per ear, to full coverage; the amounts are set plan by plan, so the only number that matters is the one in your own plan documents. When a Cigna-administered plan does include a hearing aid benefit, covered devices are supplied nationally through Start Hearing as of January 1, 2026, which replaced Amplifon.
Cigna exited its last Medicaid managed care program — Texas STAR+PLUS — on January 1, 2022, when its members transitioned to Molina Healthcare. It has not re-entered Medicaid. If you have a Medicaid plan, your hearing aid coverage follows your own state's Medicaid rules and your current plan's handbook, not anything Cigna offers. Dual-eligible members in former Cigna Medicare D-SNPs are now in HealthSpring D-SNPs under HCSC.
Starting January 1, 2026, Start Hearing (a Starkey-owned hearing care program) is Cigna's national hearing aid partner, replacing Amplifon. Cigna's member flyer lists pricing starting at $599 per hearing aid on current technology (including tinnitus options), a 60-day risk-free trial, a Three-Year Deluxe Warranty Plan covering loss and damage, rechargeable devices at no added cost or a 5-year supply of batteries, financing (subject to credit approval), and a nationwide provider network — call (888) 304-8539 or visit starthearing.com/cigna. Through 2025, Cigna's Healthy Rewards program offered discounts through Amplifon — its flyer advertised average savings of 64% off retail hearing aid prices, a 60-day trial, and a 3-year loss-and-damage warranty (877-822-7095); confirm which program your plan uses on myCigna. Note: Start Hearing pricing is a savings program, not insurance.
Three big shifts: (1) Cigna sold its entire Medicare business to HCSC, closing March 19, 2025 — those plans became HealthSpring for 2026, with hearing benefits continuing through the plans' contracted vendor (Hearing Care Solutions administers hearing benefits for these members). (2) Start Hearing replaced Amplifon as the national hearing aid supplier for Cigna-administered medical plans on January 1, 2026; for devices bought through Amplifon before then, your provider's office coordinates repairs directly with the manufacturer, and new Start Hearing devices carry a three-year manufacturer warranty. (3) Cigna announced on April 30, 2026 that it will leave the ACA individual marketplace after this year, affecting about 369,000 members in 11 states — if that's you, plan to shop during fall 2026 open enrollment.
Sometimes — it depends entirely on your specific plan, not on Cigna as a company. Cigna's own coverage policy states that hearing aid coverage 'varies across plans.' Some employer plans include a benefit ranging from a fixed allowance per ear to full coverage; others exclude hearing aids completely. Marketplace plans cover them only where a state mandate applies (Illinois covers all ages; several states cover children). Every Cigna member can at least use Start Hearing's discount pricing, starting at $599 per aid. The only way to know your answer is to check your plan documents on myCigna.com or call 1-800-244-6224.
Your plan was sold, not canceled. HCSC bought Cigna's Medicare business on March 19, 2025, and those plans became HealthSpring for 2026 — benefits, networks, and providers carried over, and you got a new ID card. Published 2026 HealthSpring plan data shows a $0 copay for a routine hearing exam and hearing aid fitting, prescription hearing aids at a $399–$1,800 copay per device depending on technology level, and $399 OTC hearing aid kits. Hearing Care Solutions administers hearing benefits for these members at 1-866-872-1001. Confirm your exact copays and device limits in your Evidence of Coverage or call the number on your card.
Three quick routes. First, log in to myCigna.com and open your plan's Summary of Benefits and Coverage — scan the 'Excluded Services & Other Covered Services' list for 'hearing aids.' Second, call the number on your ID card (1-800-244-6224) and ask directly whether you have a funded hearing aid benefit, how much it pays, and how often it renews. Third, call Start Hearing at (888) 304-8539 — as Cigna's national hearing vendor since January 1, 2026, they can verify your benefit and find a contracted provider near you in one call. Five minutes on the phone beats guessing.
Start Hearing is a Starkey-owned hearing care program that became Cigna's national hearing aid supplier on January 1, 2026, replacing Amplifon. If your plan funds hearing aids, your covered amount is applied when your provider orders through Start Hearing. If your plan doesn't, you still get member pricing starting at $599 per hearing aid, a 60-day risk-free trial, a Three-Year Deluxe Warranty that includes loss and damage, rechargeable models at no extra cost (or five years of batteries), and financing options. Call (888) 304-8539 or visit starthearing.com/cigna to get matched with a local provider. Note that the discount program is savings, not insurance.
Only where state law requires it. Among the 11 states where Cigna sells individual plans, Illinois is the standout: since January 1, 2025, state-regulated plans there must cover a prescribed hearing aid for people of all ages, one per ear every 36 months. Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas require coverage for children. Elsewhere, adult hearing aids are typically excluded — check your plan's Summary of Benefits and Coverage to be sure. Also important: Cigna announced in April 2026 that it is leaving the ACA exchanges after this year, so marketplace members will choose a new insurer during fall 2026 open enrollment.
Honestly, it ranges from $0 to full price. Some employer plans pay a fixed allowance per ear or cover aids in full; many exclude them — Cigna's own policy says coverage 'varies across plans,' so there is no single number. On a former Cigna Medicare plan (now HealthSpring), published 2026 plan data shows a $399–$1,800 copay per aid depending on technology level. With no benefit at all, Start Hearing's Cigna pricing starts at $599 per aid — well below typical retail — with a 60-day risk-free trial either way. Before you buy anything, get your exact benefit in writing from myCigna or by calling the number on your card.
While you sort out coverage, the Hearing Buddy app gives you live captions on your phone — free, instantly.