In Tennessee, hearing aid help depends heavily on age: TennCare covers hearing aids for kids under 21 through TennCare Kids, and state law makes most private plans cover up to $1,000 per hearing aid per ear every 3 years for children under 18 — but adults on TennCare get no hearing aid benefit at all. Adults looking for help should check Vocational Rehabilitation (if hearing loss affects work) and the free phone equipment program TDAP.
By Lilly Seay · Updated July 2026
TennCare does not cover hearing aids or routine audiology services for adults 21 and older; TennCare managed care plan policies restrict hearing aid coverage to members under 21. KFF's Medicaid benefits survey likewise lists Tennessee as not covering adult hearing aids. No 2024-2026 change adding an adult benefit was found. All TennCare benefits are delivered through managed care organizations (BlueCare, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, Wellpoint). Medically necessary hearing services tied to a medical condition (e.g., cochlear implant surgery) may be handled separately by the MCO.
Federal EPSDT law (42 U.S.C. § 1396d(r)(4)) requires every state — Tennessee included — to cover hearing aids for Medicaid-enrolled children under 21 at no cost to the family. Children under 21 get hearing screenings, exams, and medically necessary hearing aids through TennCare Kids (Tennessee's EPSDT program), delivered by the family's TennCare MCO. Tennessee's separate CHIP program is CoverKids, which provides free comprehensive coverage for uninsured children 18 and younger (and pregnant women) at higher incomes than TennCare. Families apply for both through TennCare Connect (tenncareconnect.tn.gov or 855-259-0701).
State-regulated individual and group policies delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2012 must cover hearing aids for children under 18: up to $1,000 per individual hearing aid per ear every 3 years, including services for selection, fitting, and adjustment; families may choose a pricier aid and pay the difference. Excludes limited-benefit policies (accident-only, Medicare supplement, hospital indemnity, etc.) and TennCare; ERISA self-funded employer plans are exempt. No adult mandate.
Statute: Tenn. Code Ann. § 56-7-2368
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.
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee anchors the state's insurance landscape, joined by Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Oscar, Ambetter, and Alliant on the 2026 marketplace, while TennCare runs entirely through three managed-care plans: BlueCare, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, and Wellpoint. Tennessee's child hearing aid mandate applies to state-regulated commercial plans, but adults have no mandate and no TennCare hearing aid benefit.
The state's dominant insurer, selling 2026 individual marketplace plans; its BlueCare Tennessee plan is one of three TennCare managed-care organizations. State-regulated BCBST plans must follow Tennessee's child hearing aid mandate — up to $1,000 per aid per ear every 3 years for kids under 18.
Offers 2026 individual marketplace plans in Tennessee. As state-regulated plans, its individual policies fall under the child hearing aid mandate (Tenn. Code Ann. § 56-7-2368); adult hearing aid coverage varies by plan.
Sells 2026 marketplace plans, and its UnitedHealthcare Community Plan is a TennCare MCO — where hearing aid coverage is limited to members under 21. Also a leading Medicare Advantage carrier; MA hearing allowances vary by plan.
One of TennCare's three managed-care organizations. Like all TennCare plans, it covers hearing aids only for members under 21 through TennCare Kids; adults 21+ have no TennCare hearing aid benefit.
Celtic/Ambetter offers 2026 individual marketplace plans in Tennessee. As state-regulated coverage, its plans must include the child hearing aid benefit required by Tennessee law; adult coverage varies by plan.
No — and we know that's hard news. TennCare does not cover hearing aids or routine audiology services for adults 21 and older, and its managed-care plans (BlueCare, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, and Wellpoint) restrict hearing aid coverage to members under 21. No change adding an adult benefit has been made through 2026. Medically necessary hearing services tied to a medical condition, like cochlear implant surgery, may be handled separately by your plan. Adults should look at Vocational Rehabilitation if hearing loss affects work — hearing aids can be covered there.
For children, yes — for adults, no. Tennessee law (Tenn. Code Ann. § 56-7-2368) requires state-regulated individual and group policies to cover hearing aids for kids under 18: up to $1,000 per hearing aid per ear every 3 years, including selection, fitting, and adjustment. Families can pick a pricier aid and pay the difference. The mandate doesn't apply to self-funded employer plans (ERISA), limited-benefit policies, or TennCare, and there's no adult requirement — so adults with BCBST, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, or Ambetter plans should check their specific policy.
You have real options. If hearing loss affects your ability to work, Tennessee Vocational Rehabilitation (through the Department of Human Services) can help pay for hearing aids as part of an employment plan. The Telecommunications Devices Access Program (TDAP) provides free phone equipment like amplified phones. The Tennessee Technology Access Program (TTAP) offers assistive-device demos and loans so you can try before you buy. For kids, TennCare covers hearing aids under 21, Children's Special Services can help eligible families, and the state's insurance mandate covers up to $1,000 per aid per ear every 3 years.
Up to $1,000 per individual hearing aid, per ear, every 3 years — that's what Tennessee's mandate requires of state-regulated policies for children under 18, and it includes services for selection, fitting, and adjustment. If your audiologist recommends an aid that costs more, you can choose it and pay the difference yourself. Keep in mind the mandate has been in effect for plans issued or renewed since January 1, 2012, but it doesn't reach self-funded employer plans or limited-benefit policies. Ask your insurer to confirm your plan is state-regulated before counting on it.
Only for children and young adults under 21. Through TennCare Kids, all three TennCare managed-care plans — BlueCare, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, and Wellpoint — cover hearing aids and hearing services for members under 21 as part of the federally required EPSDT benefit. Once a member turns 21, TennCare's hearing aid coverage ends, with no adult benefit in any of the plans. If your child is on TennCare and you suspect hearing loss, ask their doctor for a hearing screening — getting it documented is the first step toward covered hearing aids.
While you sort out coverage, the Hearing Buddy app gives you live captions on your phone — free, instantly.