Connecticut is one of the more generous states for hearing care. State law requires state-regulated private insurance to cover hearing aids for people of all ages (plans may limit you to one aid per ear every 24 months), and HUSKY Health (Medicaid) covers hearing aids for both children and adults. As of July 1, 2025, kids on HUSKY B (CHIP) get hearing aids paid in full — the old $1,000 allowance is gone.
By Lilly Seay · Updated July 2026
HUSKY Health (HUSKY A, C, and D) covers hearing aids and related audiology services for adults, delivered fee-for-service through the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CT uses an ASO model rather than private managed care plans). Providers must follow DSS policy, prior authorization, and fee-schedule requirements; devices are reimbursed up to fee-schedule maximums. Exact replacement-interval rules for adults are set in DSS policy/fee schedules — check with your provider or the CMAP Provider Assistance Center (1-800-842-8440).
Federal EPSDT law (42 U.S.C. § 1396d(r)(4)) requires every state — Connecticut included — to cover hearing aids for Medicaid-enrolled children under 21 at no cost to the family. Children under 21 on HUSKY A get medically necessary hearing aids fully covered under EPSDT. Connecticut's CHIP program is HUSKY B — and effective July 1, 2025 (Provider Bulletin 2025-36), DSS eliminated the old $1,000 hearing aid allowance and now reimburses hearing aids in full up to the fee schedule allowed amount, with no member cost-sharing ('The reimbursement received by DSS will be considered payment in full'). Families apply through Access Health CT or ct.gov/husky.
Connecticut requires state-regulated individual and group health plans to cover hearing aids as durable medical equipment for insureds of all ages. Public Act 19-133 (effective Jan 1, 2020) removed the old limits (previously children 12 and under, $1,000 per aid); plans may now limit the benefit to one hearing aid per ear within a 24-month period, with no statutory dollar cap. Self-funded ERISA employer plans are exempt.
Statute: Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 38a-490b (individual) and 38a-516b (group)
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.
Connecticut's marketplace is small — just Anthem and ConnectiCare sell 2026 individual plans through Access Health CT — but every state-regulated plan they sell must cover hearing aids for all ages under state law. Medicare Advantage is more crowded, led by Aetna, ConnectiCare, UnitedHealthcare, Humana, and Anthem, while HUSKY Health (Medicaid) runs fee-for-service through an administrative services organization rather than private managed care plans.
One of only two carriers on Access Health CT for 2026, plus five Medicare Advantage plans. Its state-regulated Connecticut individual and group plans must cover hearing aids for members of all ages under the state mandate — plans may limit you to one aid per ear every 24 months, with no dollar cap.
The other Access Health CT carrier (through two entities; ConnectiCare Insurance Company is moving off-exchange for 2027, so its exchange members will need new plans). Its state-regulated plans must follow Connecticut's all-ages hearing aid mandate, and it also offered six Medicare Advantage plans in 2026.
Connecticut's top-rated Medicare Advantage carrier for 2026, with eight plans averaging 4.5 stars. Note that the state's hearing aid mandate doesn't apply to Medicare plans, so hearing aid allowances vary by plan — check the Evidence of Coverage.
Offered seven Medicare Advantage plans in Connecticut for 2026, typically delivering hearing benefits through its UnitedHealthcare Hearing network for prescription and over-the-counter hearing aids. Specific allowances vary by plan.
Offered six Medicare Advantage plans in Connecticut for 2026. Hearing benefits vary by plan, so review plan documents before enrolling.
A Connecticut-based Medicare Advantage carrier offering three plans for 2026, several at $0 premium. Hearing benefit details vary by plan.
Yes. HUSKY Health (HUSKY A, C, and D) covers hearing aids and related audiology services for adults — one of the more generous state Medicaid programs in the country for hearing care. Connecticut delivers Medicaid fee-for-service through the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program rather than private managed care plans, so there's no MCO to pick; providers follow DSS policy, prior authorization, and fee-schedule rules, and devices are reimbursed up to fee-schedule maximums. Replacement-interval details for adults are set in DSS policy, so ask your provider or call the CMAP Provider Assistance Center at 1-800-842-8440 to confirm specifics before you're fitted.
Yes — for all ages, which makes Connecticut one of the strongest states in the country for hearing coverage. Under Public Act 19-133 (effective January 1, 2020), state-regulated individual and group health plans must cover hearing aids as durable medical equipment for insureds of any age, codified at Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 38a-490b and 38a-516b. The old limits — children 12 and under, $1,000 per aid — are gone; plans may now only limit you to one hearing aid per ear within a 24-month period, with no statutory dollar cap. The one big exception: self-funded employer (ERISA) plans are exempt, so check how your employer plan is funded.
You're in one of the better states for this. If you have HUSKY Health, hearing aids are covered for both adults and kids — and since July 1, 2025, children on HUSKY B (CHIP) get hearing aids paid in full, with the old $1,000 allowance eliminated. If you have a state-regulated private plan from Anthem or ConnectiCare, the law requires hearing aid coverage at any age. Beyond insurance, the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services can help when hearing loss affects your ability to work, and the Connecticut Tech Act Project offers assistive technology loans and demonstrations so you can try devices before committing.
Yes, and it's good news. As of July 1, 2025, children on HUSKY B (Connecticut's CHIP program) get hearing aids paid in full — the old $1,000 allowance is gone. That means families on HUSKY B no longer need to worry about covering the gap between a capped allowance and the real cost of a hearing aid, which can easily run into thousands of dollars. Combined with full coverage for kids on HUSKY A and the state's all-ages private insurance mandate, Connecticut children now have some of the most complete hearing aid coverage in the country, whichever way their family is insured.
Many do, but Connecticut's hearing aid mandate doesn't apply to Medicare plans, so it depends on the plan you choose. Aetna is the state's top-rated Medicare Advantage carrier for 2026, with ConnectiCare, UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Anthem, and CarePartners of Connecticut also offering plans — and hearing aid allowances across Connecticut plans vary widely. UnitedHealthcare typically runs its benefit through the UnitedHealthcare Hearing network. Original Medicare covers no hearing aids at all, so if hearing coverage matters, compare each plan's Evidence of Coverage during open enrollment and confirm the allowance amount and required providers before you commit.
While you sort out coverage, the Hearing Buddy app gives you live captions on your phone — free, instantly.