Does AARP Cover Hearing Aids?

Hearing loss affects people of all ages, and its causes range from disease and injury to natural aging. 

AARP offers some hearing aid discounts to members. AARP also sells Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) insurance plans in partnership with UnitedHealthcare.

These AARP Medicare Advantage plans typically help cover hearing aids, but your costs for hearing aid coverage can vary depending on the AARP Medicare Advantage plan you have, and coverage isn't guaranteed.

You can compare plans online or request a free plan quote from a licensed insurance agent to find a Medicare Advantage where you live that covers hearing aids.

Does AARP Cover Hearing Aids?

AARP doesn't cover the full price of hearing aids for older adults, but it does offer a 20% discount for AARP members. Hearing aids and other hearing health benefits are provided through AARP's Hearing Care Program and HearUSA.

Additional hearing aid benefits for members include free hearing checkups, free hearing aid technology demonstrations, a 3-year manufacturer warranty and free cleaning and hearing aid equipment checks. AARP members who participate in the discount program can also partake in risk-free 90-day trials of their new hearing aids, and all hearing aids come with a 3-year supply of batteries. 

Some AARP Medicare Advantage Plans sold through UnitedHealthcare may cover hearing aids. Plans that include hearing aid coverage typically offer an allowance that you can use towards hearing aid costs every year, or they may cover certain hearing aid services and hearing aids with a coinsurance or copay.

You can find out exactly how the plans near you cover hearing aids by comparing plans online or by speaking with a licensed insurance agent.

How Often Can AARP Members Receive Free Hearing Tests?

AARP members can take a free National Hearing Test once a year throughout the length of their memberships. The National Hearing Test is funded through the National Institutes of Health, and members take the test via the telephone. To take the test, individuals call a provided telephone number, listen to prerecorded three-digit sequences and use their telephone keypads to enter each number heard.

If the person taking the test answers each section correctly, the sounds become harder to hear, and the test becomes more challenging. For Individuals who continuously provide incorrect answers, the test becomes less challenging. After the test concludes, results for each ear are provided immediately over the telephone to help individuals determine whether they should follow up with professional audiologist testing.

When an individual wears a hearing aid, sound waves are picked up by a built-in microphone and converted into electrical signals. The signals are then sent to the hearing aid's amplifier, which increases their power based on the extent of the individual's hearing loss. Once amplified, the sounds are sent through a speaker and into the ear. 

What Is AARP?

Formerly known as the American Association for Retired Persons, AARP is a nonprofit organization that provides resources and various benefits for individuals aged 50 and older.

AARP advocates for older adults in areas, such as Social Security and retirement, and it partners with businesses and organizations, such as Chase Bank, Toyota, UnitedHealthcare Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

AARP offers annual memberships for $16 per year, and benefits include travel and entertainment discounts, health and wellness resources and access to the AARP job board to find and apply for full-time or part-time opportunities.

Is AARP an Insurance Company?

AARP is not an insurance company on its own, but it does offer Medicare Advantage plans through a partnership with UnitedHealthcare. To qualify for an AARP Medicare Advantage plan from UnitedHealthcare, individuals must become AARP members and pay annual membership fees.

You can learn more about UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans and compare plans available where you live online. You can also request to speak with a licensed insurance agent over the phone to learn about how much plans cost, what they cover, if they cover your doctor and your medications and more.