Georgia Medicaid covers hearing aids for members under 21 but does not cover them for adults 21 and older, except in narrow circumstances. Children and young adults get hearing aids, batteries, and related audiology services through the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit. Adults are generally on their own, though cochlear implants are covered when medical criteria are met, and a separate state-funded program can help low-income adults pay for hearing aids outside of Medicaid.
Coverage for Children and Young Adults Under 21
Federal law requires every state Medicaid program to cover any medically necessary service for people under 21 through EPSDT. In Georgia, that means hearing screenings, hearing tests, hearing aids, replacement batteries, and cochlear implants when a hearing loss is identified.1Georgia Department of Human Services. EPSDT Medicaid Policy
PeachCare for Kids, Georgia’s CHIP program, offers the same scope. It covers audiology evaluations, hearing aids when medically necessary, cochlear implants when audiologically indicated, auditory-verbal therapy, and replacement hearing aids when a child outgrows or breaks a device.2Brevy. PeachCare for Kids Covered Services
Why Adults 21 and Older Are Not Covered
No federal rule requires Medicaid to cover hearing aids for adults, and Georgia has chosen not to.3Brevy. Georgia Medicaid Covered Services Hearing exams are covered for adults; the devices themselves are excluded outside of what the state calls “narrow circumstances.”
Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage program, the Medicaid expansion pathway launched in 2023, does not fill the gap. It restricts hearing aid coverage to members ages 19 and 20.4CareSource. Georgia Pathways to Coverage Provider Manual Addendum The waiver programs for older adults and people with disabilities, including the Community Care Services Program (CCSP) and SOURCE, also do not list hearing aids among covered services.5DB101 Georgia. Georgia Medicaid Covered Services Those waivers focus on personal support, home-delivered meals, adult day health care, and emergency response systems. Georgia added adult dental benefits in July 2024, but adult hearing aid coverage was not part of that expansion.3Brevy. Georgia Medicaid Covered Services
The Cochlear Implant Exception for Adults
Georgia Medicaid will pay for cochlear implants for adults when medical necessity criteria are met. Candidates generally have severe-to-profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and get limited benefit from properly fitted hearing aids. Coverage includes the surgery, the device, activation, and roughly six to twelve months of post-implant audiologic rehabilitation. Processor upgrades are also covered on a schedule tied to manufacturer guidelines.6Brevy. Georgia Medicaid Hearing Aid Coverage
The surgery must be done at a credentialed center. Principal centers in Georgia include Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Augusta University Medical Center, and Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. Devices from Cochlear Corporation, Advanced Bionics, and MED-EL are all covered when candidacy criteria are met.
Help for Adults Who Can’t Afford Hearing Aids
Adults who do not qualify for Medicaid hearing aid coverage may be able to use the Georgia Hearing Aid Distribution Program. It is funded by the Georgia Public Service Commission and administered by the Georgia Charitable Care Network (GCCN), a nonprofit. It is a separate program from Medicaid.7Georgia Public Service Commission. Georgia Hearing Aid Distribution Program
Who Qualifies
- Georgia resident for at least one year.
- Age 18 or older (20 and older for GCCN’s Hearing Aid Dispatch Program specifically).
- Household monthly net income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines.
- A recommendation from a state-licensed hearing care provider, with a copy of the audiogram.
A pediatric track covers children under 19 whose household income does not exceed 400% of the federal poverty guidelines, provided the child is either ineligible for Medicaid or PeachCare, or eligible but not yet approved.7Georgia Public Service Commission. Georgia Hearing Aid Distribution Program
How to Apply
Call GCCN at 888-551-1231 first to find or confirm an approved hearing provider, then arrange for that provider to accept you as a new patient. You will need a hearing test less than six months old from a GCCN-approved provider, plus either a signed medical clearance from a physician or a signed medical waiver.8Georgia Charitable Care Network. Georgia Hearing Aid Dispatch Applications can be submitted through the GCCN grants portal online, or printed and sent by mail or fax.
The program is not free. Participants pay a copayment, and applicants pay for their own hearing tests. Processing a completed application takes about six to seven weeks. If you don’t submit all required documents within three months, the file is treated as abandoned and you have to start over. You can apply once every three years.9Georgia Charitable Care Network. Adult Hearing Aid Application
Contact
GCCN: 888-551-1231, or 678-389-3333 in metro Atlanta, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Website: gacharitycare.org. Mail applications to 2897 N. Druid Hills Rd. NE #116, Atlanta, GA 30329, or fax to 866-329-8147.8Georgia Charitable Care Network. Georgia Hearing Aid Dispatch
If You Have Private Insurance for a Child
Georgia Code ยง 33-24-59.21, the Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Act, requires health benefit policies to cover hearing aids for children 18 and under, capped at $3,000 per hearing aid per ear. The law allows replacement of one hearing aid per ear every 48 months and covers related services such as evaluations, fittings, repairs, and ear molds within that dollar cap.10FindLaw. Georgia Code Section 33-24-59.21 This is a private-insurance mandate, not a Medicaid rule, but it is worth checking if a child in your household is on a parent’s commercial plan rather than Medicaid or PeachCare.