Hearing Aids and Hearing Aid Services

Hearing aids and hearing aid services are covered benefits for active duty service members* and their families and TRICARE-Prime enrolled children of military retirees. Those eligible must be diagnosed with profound hearing loss. Medically necessary and appropriate services and supplies include hearing examinations and hearing aid repairs and replacements. See TRICARE Policy Manual, Chapter 7, Section 8.2.

Hearing aids and hearing aid services are not covered for retirees and their family members (except for TRICARE Prime-enrolled children who meet criteria), TRICARE Reserve Select members and TRICARE Retired Reserve members. Visit the Military Audiology Association for additional resources. 

TRICARE defines profound hearing loss as follows:

• Adults with a hearing threshold of 40 dB HL or greater in one or both ears when tested at 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000, 3,000 or 4,000Hz or a threshold of 26 dB HL or greater in one or both ears at any three or more of those frequencies or a speech recognition score less than 94%.
  
  
• Children with a hearing threshold level of 26dB HL or greater in one or both ears when tested in the frequency range at 500, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 or 4,000Hz.

To be eligible for hearing aids and hearing aid services and supplies, children of retired service members must be:  

• Enrolled in TRICARE Prime (not TRICARE Young Adult Prime),
• An eligible dependent of the retired service member, and
• Diagnosed as meeting the clinical criteria described above.

Note: If the original hearing aid would have been covered by TRICARE and the beneficiary remains eligible for the hearing aid benefit, replacement hearing aids are covered. Benefits are allowed for replacement of beneficiary-owned hearing aids when the hearing aid is lost or not serviceable due to normal wear or accidental damage, or due to a change in the beneficiary’s condition or level of hearing loss.

*Service members who reside in a Prime Service Area (PSA) with audiology services are required to obtain these services at their local military hospital or clinic. Service members who reside outside of a PSA can obtain these prior authorized services from a TRICARE-authorized provider without a waiver.

A fully implantable hearing aid that has no visible parts is not a covered benefit. This is not to be confused with TRICARE's cochlear implants benefit.

Cost Information