TRICARE Expands Hearing Aid Benefit
Monday, September 30, 2024
Retroactive to Dec. 22, 2023, TRICARE has expanded coverage of hearing aids and hearing aid services and supplies to TRICARE-Prime enrolled children of retired service members. Previously this coverage was limited to active duty service members and their families. Eligible beneficiaries must have a profound hearing loss as defined in TRICARE Policy Manual, Chapter 7, Section 8.2. Medically necessary and appropriate services and supplies include hearing examinations and hearing aid repairs and replacements.
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 with a 26dB HL or greater hearing threshold level in one or both ears when tested in the frequency range at 500, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, or 4,000Hz.
Except for children enrolled in TRICARE Prime as noted above, hearing aid and hearing aid services and supplies remain excluded for military retirees and their family members, including those enrolled in TRICARE Reserve Select and TRICARE Retired Reserve. The benefit for active duty service members and their families has not changed. (Note: TRICARE’s cochlear implants benefit is separate from its hearing aid and hearing aid services benefit.)
See TPM Chapter 7, Section 8.2 and our Benefits A-Z “Hearing Aids” page.
