North Dakota Medicaid is one of the states that covers hearing aids for adults as well as children — adults qualify with an average hearing loss of 40 dB or more, and since April 2024 Medicaid even covers hearing aids for both ears at any age. Replacements are normally every 5 years, and monthly batteries and repairs are covered too. There's no state law making private insurance cover hearing aids, but ND Assistive offers device loans, free specialized phones, and low-interest financing, and Vocational Rehabilitation can help with hearing aids you need for work.
By Lilly Seay · Updated July 2026
Adults 21+ qualify with average hearing loss ≥40 dB at 500/1000/2000 Hz (DME manual hearing aid policy, revised July 2024). Service authorization is required. Recent improvements: effective April 1, 2024 binaural (two-ear) hearing aids are covered for all ages (previously denied for 21+), and as of July 1, 2024 the CMN form requirement was dropped. Replacement no sooner than 5 years without an approved authorization showing changed hearing/need; lost aids are not replaced early. Purchase includes fitting, a 1-year warranty against loss or damage and first-year maintenance/servicing; dispensing fee paid once per aid (covers up to 3 fitting/programming visits); batteries covered without authorization (6/month monaural, 12/month binaural); repairs covered once warranties expire (authorization needed above $250 or for a second repair within 6 months). Delivered fee-for-service through ND Medicaid's DME program, not managed care.
Federal EPSDT law (42 U.S.C. § 1396d(r)(4)) requires every state — North Dakota included — to cover hearing aids for Medicaid-enrolled children under 21 at no cost to the family. Children under 21 qualify with a lower threshold — average hearing loss ≥30 dB at 500/1000/2000 Hz — and can get replacements more often than the 5-year rule when documentation justifies medical necessity. EPSDT operates as 'Health Tracks' screenings through age 20, and audiology services are covered for children. North Dakota also runs a CHIP program alongside Medicaid for kids in families with somewhat higher incomes; families apply through ND HHS (hhs.nd.gov/healthcare/CHIP or applyforhelp.nd.gov).
North Dakota has no statute requiring state-regulated private health plans to cover hearing aids for children or adults — confirmed by NCHAM's state hearing aid legislation tracker (listed under 'No Legislation'), and no 2023-2025 legislature bill creating such a mandate was found. Some individual plans may cover hearing aids voluntarily.
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.
North Dakota's private market is small — just three insurers sell 2026 marketplace plans, none required to cover hearing aids — but Medicaid stands out, covering adult hearing aids fee-for-service directly through the state rather than managed care plans.
One of the three insurers offering 2026 individual marketplace plans in North Dakota. The state has no hearing aid mandate, so hearing coverage varies by plan — check your policy documents or call before buying.
The health-system-owned insurer is one of North Dakota's three 2026 marketplace carriers. With no state hearing aid mandate, ask specifically about hearing aid benefits before enrolling.
The third of North Dakota's 2026 marketplace insurers, though its plans remain unavailable in five counties for 2026. Hearing aid coverage is not required by state law, so it varies by plan.
Yes — North Dakota is one of the states where Medicaid covers hearing aids for adults. You qualify with an average hearing loss of 40 dB or more (at 500/1000/2000 Hz), and service authorization is required. Since April 2024, hearing aids for both ears are covered at any age. Your purchase includes fitting, a one-year warranty, and first-year servicing; batteries are covered monthly (6 for one aid, 12 for two), and repairs are covered after warranties expire. Replacements normally come every 5 years. The benefit runs fee-for-service through ND Medicaid directly — no managed care plan to navigate.
No. North Dakota has no law requiring private health plans to cover hearing aids for adults or children — it's listed under 'No Legislation' on the national tracker of state hearing aid laws, and no recent bill has changed that. Some plans cover hearing aids voluntarily, so it's worth checking. If you buy coverage on healthcare.gov, the three insurers selling 2026 individual plans are Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, Sanford Health Plan, and Medica — ask each specifically about hearing aid benefits before you enroll, and read the plan documents carefully.
Even without an insurance mandate, North Dakotans have options. ND Assistive, the state's assistive technology program, offers free device loans so you can try equipment, distributes free specialized phones, and provides low-interest financing for hearing aids. North Dakota Vocational Rehabilitation can help pay for hearing aids you need to get or keep a job. And if your income qualifies you for Medicaid, adults with 40 dB or greater hearing loss get hearing aids, batteries, and repairs covered. It's also worth calling your insurer — some plans cover hearing aids even though the state doesn't require it.
Original Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids anywhere, including North Dakota. About 35% of the state's Medicare beneficiaries choose Medicare Advantage — lower than the national average — and options vary a lot by county: rural western counties may have as few as three plans, while Burleigh County residents can choose from 22. Many MA plans include some hearing aid benefit, but amounts differ by plan, so compare hearing benefits on Medicare.gov or ask each plan directly. If you have both Medicare and Medicaid, ND Medicaid's adult hearing aid benefit can help.
While you sort out coverage, the Hearing Buddy app gives you live captions on your phone — free, instantly.