Massachusetts is one of the better states for hearing help. MassHealth (Medicaid) pays for hearing aids for both adults and kids, and a state law makes most private insurers cover up to $2,000 per hearing aid every 36 months for anyone 21 or younger. If you don't qualify for MassHealth, MassAbility (the agency formerly called the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission) can help pay for hearing aids you need for work, and MassEDP provides free or low-cost amplified phones.
By Lilly Seay · Updated July 2026
MassHealth covers hearing aids, exams, fittings, earmolds, batteries, and repairs for adults when medically necessary. A prior-authorization check is required for any member who received a hearing aid within the past 60 months (5 years), and replacements always need prior authorization with documentation (audiological evaluation, medical clearance obtained within 6 months, and justification for loss/damage/medical change). Providers verify hearing aid history in real time through the Provider Online Service Center. Most members are enrolled in MassHealth ACOs/MCOs, which must cover the benefit; rules are in the MassHealth Hearing Instrument Specialist Manual and 130 CMR 416/426. No 2024-2026 cuts identified.
Federal EPSDT law (42 U.S.C. § 1396d(r)(4)) requires every state — Massachusetts included — to cover hearing aids for Medicaid-enrolled children under 21 at no cost to the family. Children under 21 are covered through MassHealth under EPSDT: hearing screenings, diagnostic audiology, hearing aids, earmolds, batteries, and repairs when medically necessary. Massachusetts runs its CHIP funding through MassHealth itself (plus the Children's Medical Security Plan for kids who don't qualify for MassHealth), so families apply once through the standard MassHealth application at mass.gov or (800) 841-2900.
State-regulated plans must cover $2,000 per hearing aid, per hearing-impaired ear, every 36 months for any insured child 21 years of age or younger (in effect since 2013). Coverage includes the initial hearing aid evaluation, fitting, adjustments, and supplies including earmolds, prescribed by a licensed audiologist or hearing instrument specialist. Families may choose a pricier aid and pay the difference with no penalty, and cost-sharing can't be worse than other benefits. Self-funded (ERISA) employer plans are exempt. No adult mandate; bills to expand coverage to adults have been filed in recent sessions but none has passed as of mid-2026.
Statute: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 175 §47X (parallel sections in ch. 176A, 176B, 176G)
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.
Massachusetts is a regional-carrier state: eight insurers — including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, WellSense, Harvard Pilgrim, Tufts Health Public Plans, Mass General Brigham Health Plan, Fallon, Health New England, and UnitedHealthcare — sell individual plans through the Health Connector, and every state-regulated plan must include the $2,000-per-aid children's hearing benefit. MassHealth members get hearing coverage through ACOs and MCOs such as WellSense.
The state's flagship commercial carrier, offering 2026 individual plans through the Health Connector. Its state-regulated Massachusetts plans must include the mandated $2,000 per hearing aid, per ear, every 36 months benefit for members 21 and younger; adult hearing coverage varies by plan, so check your benefit summary.
Offers individual/family Clarity plans through the Health Connector for 2026 and serves MassHealth (Medicaid) members, who get MassHealth's hearing aid benefit — aids, exams, fittings, earmolds, batteries, and repairs when medically necessary.
One of eight carriers on the Health Connector for 2026. As a Massachusetts state-regulated plan, its coverage must include the children's hearing aid mandate ($2,000 per aid per ear every 36 months for members 21 and under).
Longtime regional carrier offering 2026 Health Connector plans. Its state-regulated plans follow the Massachusetts children's hearing aid mandate; adult hearing benefits vary by plan.
Provider-affiliated carrier on the Health Connector for 2026, alongside regional carriers Fallon Health and Health New England. State-regulated plans from all of them must include the children's hearing aid benefit.
One of the eight carriers offering 2026 individual plans through the Massachusetts Health Connector. Hearing aid coverage on its Medicare Advantage plans varies by plan, so check the plan's Evidence of Coverage before enrolling.
Yes. MassHealth covers hearing aids for adults when medically necessary, along with hearing exams, fittings, earmolds, batteries, and repairs. If you received a hearing aid within the past five years, your provider must run a prior-authorization check first, and replacements always need prior authorization with documentation — a current audiological evaluation, medical clearance obtained within six months, and a reason such as loss, damage, or a change in your hearing. Most members are enrolled in MassHealth ACOs or MCOs, such as WellSense, and those plans must cover the benefit, so start by calling the member number on your card.
For children and young adults, yes. Massachusetts law (ch. 175 §47X) requires state-regulated plans to cover $2,000 per hearing aid, per ear, every 36 months for anyone 21 or younger — including the evaluation, fitting, adjustments, and earmolds — and your family can pick a pricier aid and pay the difference without penalty. There is no mandate for adults over 21, though bills to expand coverage have been filed in recent sessions. Self-funded employer plans are exempt from the state law. If you're an adult with private insurance, coverage varies by plan, so check your benefits summary or call your insurer.
If you qualify for MassHealth, it covers hearing aids for adults and kids, plus batteries and repairs. If you don't, MassAbility (formerly the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission) can help pay for hearing aids you need to get or keep a job, and MassMATCH — the state's assistive technology program within MassAbility — offers device demonstration and reuse options. The Massachusetts Equipment Distribution Program (MassEDP) provides free or low-cost amplified phones for people with hearing loss. Mass.gov also maintains a 'Resources in Massachusetts for Hearing Aids' page that gathers funding options in one place — it's a good first stop.
All of the state-regulated ones must. That includes Health Connector carriers like Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Harvard Pilgrim, Tufts Health Public Plans, Mass General Brigham Health Plan, Fallon, Health New England, WellSense, and UnitedHealthcare: for any insured member 21 or younger, they must cover $2,000 per hearing aid, per ear, every 36 months, with fittings, adjustments, and earmolds included and cost-sharing no worse than other benefits. The exception is self-funded employer plans, which follow federal ERISA rules instead — ask HR whether your plan is self-funded before assuming the mandate applies.
While you sort out coverage, the Hearing Buddy app gives you live captions on your phone — free, instantly.