Ohio Medicaid covers hearing aids for both adults and children — adults qualify with roughly a 31 dB average hearing loss, batteries and repairs are included, and most members get the benefit through their managed care plan. Big recent news: Madeline's Law took effect April 3, 2025, requiring Ohio-regulated private insurance to cover up to $2,500 per hearing aid per ear every 48 months for anyone 21 or younger. Adults with private insurance still have no state mandate, but Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities can help pay for hearing aids needed for work.
By Lilly Seay · Updated July 2026
Covered at all ages under Ohio Admin. Code 5160-10-11 (current version effective Jan. 1, 2024). Adults 21+ need a hearing loss of at least 31 dB; a Certificate of Medical Necessity (form ODM 01915) signed within 90 days of dispensing plus a hearing evaluation from the past 6 months is required. Binaural (two-ear) aids covered when medically necessary, including CROS/BiCROS options; one month of batteries included with purchase, and out-of-warranty repairs are covered when not routine maintenance. The rule sets no fixed replacement calendar — replacement is covered when medically necessary and the aid isn't under warranty or cheaper to repair. Most members receive the benefit through Ohio Medicaid Next Generation managed care plans.
Federal EPSDT law (42 U.S.C. § 1396d(r)(4)) requires every state — Ohio included — to cover hearing aids for Medicaid-enrolled children under 21 at no cost to the family. Children under 21 are covered under EPSDT (called 'Healthchek' in Ohio) with a more generous 26 dB hearing-loss threshold and required pediatric testing (tympanometry, otoacoustic emissions). Ohio's CHIP is a Medicaid-expansion CHIP — kids enroll in the same Ohio Medicaid/Healthy Start coverage; families apply at benefits.ohio.gov or through their county Job & Family Services office.
Madeline's Law, newly effective April 3, 2025 (enacted via HB 315, 135th General Assembly, originating as HB 152): Ohio-regulated fully insured plans must cover one hearing aid per impaired ear up to $2,500 every 48 months for covered individuals age 21 or younger, including assessment and fitting services, with medical appropriateness judged by state speech and hearing board standards. Families may choose a costlier aid and pay the difference without penalty. Batteries and cords are excluded, and plans need not pay if a hearing aid was already covered within the prior 48 months by any plan. Self-funded/level-funded ERISA employer plans are exempt.
Statute: Ohio Rev. Code § 3902.64 (and § 3902.63)
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.
Ohio residents deal with a big, competitive market: 11 insurers on the 2026 marketplace, seven Next Generation Medicaid managed care plans that all deliver the state's all-ages hearing aid benefit, and nearly 57% Medicare Advantage enrollment — with Madeline's Law now requiring state-regulated plans to cover children's hearing aids.
The Dayton-based nonprofit is the largest Medicaid plan in Ohio (and second largest in the US), serving roughly 2 million members, and also sells 2026 marketplace plans. As a Next Generation Medicaid plan it administers Ohio Medicaid's hearing aid benefit, which covers adults with at least 31 dB hearing loss.
On the 2026 Ohio exchange (as Community Insurance Company) and one of the seven Next Generation Medicaid plans. Its Ohio-regulated fully insured plans must follow Madeline's Law — up to $2,500 per hearing aid per ear every 48 months for members 21 or younger.
Centene's Ohio plan is a Next Generation Medicaid MCO, and Buckeye Community Health Plan sells 2026 marketplace coverage under the Ambetter brand. Medicaid members get the state's all-ages hearing aid benefit through the plan.
A Next Generation Ohio Medicaid plan and one of the 11 insurers on the 2026 marketplace. Medicaid members receive Ohio's hearing aid benefit — including binaural aids when medically necessary and a month of batteries — through the plan.
Offers 2026 Ohio marketplace plans, runs a Next Generation Medicaid Community Plan, and is a major Medicare Advantage carrier. Its hearing care program runs through the UnitedHealthcare Hearing platform; hearing allowances vary by plan.
Operates Humana Healthy Horizons in Ohio, one of the seven Next Generation Medicaid plans, and is nationally known for Medicare Advantage. Many of its MA plans include hearing benefits, but amounts vary by plan — check your Evidence of Coverage.
The Ohio-based insurer (listed as Medical Health Insuring Corp./MedMutual) is among the 11 carriers on the 2026 exchange. Its Ohio-regulated plans are subject to Madeline's Law for members 21 or younger; adult hearing coverage varies by plan.
Yes — Ohio Medicaid covers hearing aids at every age. Adults 21 and older qualify with a hearing loss of at least 31 dB, backed by a hearing evaluation from the past 6 months and a Certificate of Medical Necessity (form ODM 01915) signed within 90 days of dispensing. Two-ear (binaural) aids are covered when medically necessary, including CROS/BiCROS options, a month of batteries comes with your purchase, and out-of-warranty repairs are covered. Most members use the benefit through a Next Generation managed care plan — CareSource, Buckeye, Molina, Anthem, Humana Healthy Horizons, AmeriHealth Caritas, or UnitedHealthcare.
For children and young adults, yes. Madeline's Law took effect April 3, 2025: Ohio-regulated insurance must cover one hearing aid per impaired ear, up to $2,500 every 48 months, for covered individuals 21 or younger — including assessment and fitting services. Families can choose a costlier aid and just pay the difference without penalty. Batteries and cords are excluded, and self-funded employer plans are exempt. For adults 22 and up there's still no mandate, so coverage depends on your plan — check your benefits booklet or ask your insurer directly.
If you're on Ohio Medicaid, hearing aids are covered at any age — that's the first door to try. For working-age adults, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) can help pay for hearing aids you need for employment. Assistive Technology of Ohio lends devices so you can try before you buy, and the Children with Medical Handicaps program through the Ohio Department of Health helps families of children with hearing loss. And thanks to Madeline's Law, kids 21 and younger on Ohio-regulated private plans get up to $2,500 per hearing aid per ear every 48 months.
Madeline's Law is Ohio's children's hearing aid insurance mandate, enacted through House Bill 315 (it began as HB 152) and effective April 3, 2025. It requires Ohio-regulated health plans to cover one hearing aid per impaired ear, up to $2,500 per aid every 48 months, for covered individuals age 21 or younger — with assessment and fitting services included and medical appropriateness judged by state speech and hearing board standards. Families may pick a more expensive aid and pay only the difference. Batteries and cords aren't covered, and self-funded (ERISA) employer plans are exempt.
Original Medicare doesn't pay for hearing aids, but Ohio is a strong Medicare Advantage state: almost 57% of Ohio Medicare beneficiaries have MA plans, and the average beneficiary can choose from 62 plans for 2026. Many include hearing aid benefits — UnitedHealthcare, for example, runs its hearing program through UnitedHealthcare Hearing — but allowance amounts and hearing networks vary plan to plan. Compare hearing benefits on Medicare.gov during enrollment, or call your plan and ask for the hearing aid section of your Evidence of Coverage. Dual-eligible Ohioans can also use Medicaid's hearing benefit.
While you sort out coverage, the Hearing Buddy app gives you live captions on your phone — free, instantly.