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Does Medicare Cover Hearing Aids in Florida?

Use the free tool — Hearing & Vision Help Finder

First: is this urgent?

Sudden hearing loss in one ear, sudden vision loss, eye pain, flashes, or a curtain over your vision, or an eye injury are emergencies. See a doctor or go to the ER today. This guide only covers cost and coverage — it is not medical advice.

What Medicare covers — and what it doesn't

Original Medicare does not cover hearing aids or the exams to fit them. It also does not cover routine eye exams or eyeglasses/contacts.

• Original Medicare does not pay for hearing aids or fitting exams.
• Original Medicare does not pay for routine eye exams or eyeglasses/contacts.
• Original Medicare does cover a yearly diabetic eye exam.
• Original Medicare does cover glaucoma tests for people at high risk.
• Original Medicare does cover cataract surgery, plus one pair of glasses or contacts after the surgery.
• Original Medicare does cover diagnostic hearing and balance exams ordered by a doctor.

Many Medicare Advantage plans add hearing and vision benefits that Original Medicare does not include. Compare plans during open enrollment, October 15 to December 7, with free help from Florida SHINE at 1-800-963-5337. Confirm your plan's exact hearing and vision benefits directly with Medicare, your plan, or SHINE. See Medicare.gov — Hearing & balance exams.

The 2022 rule: hearing aids without a prescription

Since October 2022, adults 18 and older with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss can buy FDA-regulated hearing aids over the counter, without an exam or prescription. This is per the FDA.

• Over-the-counter hearing aids are not made for severe hearing loss.
• They are not for children.
• A hearing test is still a good idea before you buy. Some community programs offer one free.

Before you buy: Florida's 30-day trial law

Florida law requires a trial period and refund terms when you buy hearing aids. Ask the seller for the itemized price, whether bundled services can be unbundled, and about the return and trial terms. See Fla. Stat. 484.0512.

Programs that can help pay

These are real programs. Confirm eligibility directly with each one.

• Lions Clubs — local clubs often help with glasses and hearing aids. Contact your local club.
• EyeCare America — free eye exams for eligible seniors 65 and older, given by volunteer ophthalmologists. See EyeCare America.
• Florida Division of Blind Services — independent living, training and devices for people with significant vision loss. See Florida DBS.
• FTRI — free amplified and captioned phones for Florida residents with certified hearing loss. See FTRI.
• VA audiology — hearing aids for enrolled veterans.
• Florida SHINE — free counseling to compare Medicare Advantage plans with hearing and vision benefits. Call 1-800-963-5337 or visit Florida SHINE.

What to do next

Type what you need — hearing aids, an exam, glasses — your coverage and your county into the free tool. It reads your own numbers and your own situation, not examples, and tells you what your coverage really pays for and which programs may apply to you. This is not medical advice. Nothing you type is stored.

Hearing & Vision Help Finder explains coverage and assistance programs in plain language from official sources; it can be wrong, and it is not medical or insurance advice. It recommends no products. Confirm with Medicare, your plan, SHINE or the program itself. Nothing you type is stored.