Can we get Medicare to cover the cost of hearing aids & services?

No, only that it must be dispensed by an audiologist. It is a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, which my employer transitioned us to once we were eligible for Medicare. My friend in Illinois has a Humana or Kaiser plan, and you are correct, it only covers 5 specific brands (none for his profound hearing loss.) He is fortunate to be a Veteran, and his wife found an organization that covered his, with a lifetime repair plan.
Sue

Thank you for your response Sue. I wonder what 'lifetime repair' means?? Hearing aids don't last forever, and most manufacturers stop repairing products that are past their 'lifespan'. According to most reports, a hearing aid's lifespan is about 5 years.

my 2020 Aetna Medicare Advantage plan covered the Phonak $5000 hearing aids. I paid $2400 for this high tier model. There were other lower tier models less expensive and numerous other brands available. This year I have a United Health AARP advantage plan and they offer hearing aid discounts. I read that Blue Cross/Blue Shield Medicare Advantage plans offer the best hearing aid discounts.. I purchased through my local Hear USA retail store..

In his case, he broke so many they never got to be 5 years old! And if he didn't being blind as well. he left them in odd places and their beagle tried to eat them. In 9 years, I am aware of 5 repairs and at least that many replacements! I am guessing he was getting "equivalent" replacements after a few years. I know the latest ones were quite a bit smaller than his first.
Sue

Thank you for sharing this information. The Medicare system is very complicated. It seems that different Advantage plans are offered in different states with different parameters. I had United Health AARP Advantage when I needed a new hearing aid. It didn't pay anything toward it. Had I purchased it from their recommended provider it would have covered part of the cost. Some of these plans are not available to everyone. Medicare coverage for hearing aids should be universal.

Absolutely! As it should be with all other comprehensive insurance plans.
Sue

My Dad was a Korean War Vet and for the last ten years of his life they paid for his hearing aids and eyeglasses. He lived in MA. I don’t remember the type but he was extremely deaf without them. I have to add he suffered dementia and lost them frequently but every time he did we would take the bus to Boston and get new ones. They never questioned him. He loved the bus. I do remember I had to fill out a lot of paperwork at the beginning and he had a physical and then could use facility for everything. Hope that helps…Joanne

We have basic Medicare, PPO pays about $1200 per ear! Humana

Yes we have United AARP advantage plan and they offer a discount. Research different types of plans in your area.

Medicare plans are all very different, esp. the various Advantage plans, which only pay part of the cost of what basic Medicare doesn't cover. Since my husband is a transplantee, we learned about what was then Plan F INSTEAD of an Advantage plan: These plans cost close to $200/mo. but cover ALL medical expenses, including copays: you never pay a doc anything, never even get a bill from the hospital, not even for the transplant, which is often a total of around a half million bucks! The downsides are that Plan F type coverage provides nothing for dental, glasses, hearing aids, prescriptions. (We have separate Rx plans, although Plan F covers his very expensive anti-rejection drugs and Dexcom diabetes control system at zero cost.) The bad news is that you must opt for this type of plan instead of an Advantage plan within a couple of months after becoming eligible for Medicare. The only way to get around that is to move to a county where some Advantage plans have no coverage: you then have 60 days to opt for Plan F. I did that when we moved to our second home on the coast, switching my Advantage plan to one not available in this county.

Before cataract surgery, I usually had to get new glasses (lenses) every year or two. Many plans offer zero coverage for glasses, but mine often cost close to $1,000. Then, there's the cost of dental care, with the most usual option of dental insurance, which often makes you wait for weeks or months to get work done. When I needed Dentures, I checked around and went to Aspen Dental, where the most expensive full set cost just over $3,000--compared to the $12,000 a friend paid just for uppers! Yes, hearing aids are expensive, but not necessarily more so than dental care or glasses, in some cases.

For aids, I go to Costco, where my tech is actually more knowledgeable than all of the audis I've seen. In addition, there's no charge for visits or hearing tests, no charge for parts like ear molds, wax guards, etc., plus a liberal return policy. Although the Costco aids don't admit that they're exactly the same as some major brands, they are: mine are Oticons, under a Costco name--$1,600 per aid, $3,200 per pair. Not only are the aids roughly half the price of the major brands, but all the aftercare being totally free is a REAL bonus! Costco sells packs of six cards of batteries for a mere $8.99--less than most drugstores charge for a single card!