Whether Regence covers hearing aids depends on your state, your plan type, and your age. In Washington, most Regence plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 must cover hearing aids as an Essential Health Benefit. In Oregon, coverage is mandated only for children and full-time students up to age 25, with adult coverage depending on the employer’s plan. Regence Medicare Advantage members get a separate discounted-purchase benefit through TruHearing. And Regence members whose plans still exclude hearing aids can use discount programs, though those are not insurance.
Washington Plans in 2026 and After
Washington added hearing aids to its Essential Health Benefits benchmark plan for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026. CMS approved the state’s benchmark change on October 7, 2024.1Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner. Essential Health Benefit Expansion Presentation
Under RCW 48.43.135, covered plans must pay for one hearing aid per ear every 36 months with no annual or lifetime dollar limits. Coverage includes the initial assessment, fitting, adjustment, auditory training, and ear molds. Services generally are not subject to the deductible, unless the plan is a qualifying high-deductible plan paired with a health savings account. Carriers can still require prior authorization. For children under 18, the plan can require medical clearance from an otolaryngologist within the preceding six months (or from a licensed physician if nothing has changed since the initial evaluation).2Washington State Legislature. RCW 48.43.135
Large group employer plans (more than 51 employees) have been subject to a similar requirement since January 1, 2024, with a $3,000-per-ear floor every 36 months, and that mandate also reaches public school employees and state employees under the School Employees Benefits Board and Public Employees Benefits Board.3Hearing Loss Association of America – WA. New Insurance Benefits for Hearing Aids in Washington State
One caution for individual-market members: Regence’s own 2026 individual plan brochure lists hearing aids under “members-only discounts” rather than as a standard covered benefit, and the plan documents detail cost-sharing for hearing exams without explicitly listing hearing aids as a covered medical expense.4Regence. Consumer Plan Brochure – Regence Individual 2026 If you have an individual Regence plan in Washington, confirm directly with Regence how the new mandate applies to your plan at renewal.
Who the Washington Mandate Does Not Reach
Self-insured employer plans are regulated under the federal ERISA law and are generally exempt from state coverage mandates. Many large private employers and some city and county governments operate self-insured plans that may not cover hearing aids.3Hearing Loss Association of America – WA. New Insurance Benefits for Hearing Aids in Washington State People on traditional Medicare also have no state-mandated hearing aid benefit, because Medicare is a federal program. Check whether your employer plan is self-insured before assuming the Washington rule applies.
Washington Plans Before 2026: Past Out-of-Pocket Costs
For years, Washington Regence BlueShield plans routinely excluded or limited hearing aid coverage. A class action, E.S. v. Regence BlueShield, resulted in a $3 million settlement covering people insured under a Washington Regence BlueShield or Cambia Health Solutions plan between October 30, 2014 and December 31, 2025 who paid out of pocket for medically necessary hearing aids and related services. Members of large group plans from January 1, 2024 onward were excluded, because those plans were already required to cover hearing aids under state law.5ClassAction.org. E.S. v. Regence BlueShield – Settlement Agreement Regence denied any wrongdoing.
If you were hoping to file a claim, that window has closed. The claim deadline was February 3, 2026, with a court-approved late-claim extension through March 11, 2026. Final approval of the settlement was granted on March 20, 2026 by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones. New claims are no longer being accepted. Claimants who received defect notices about incomplete submissions had until May 27, 2026 to respond, and payments will be distributed after any appeals are resolved and all claims adjudicated.6WA Hearing Aid Settlement. WA Hearing Aid Settlement – FAQ
Oregon Plans
Oregon’s hearing aid mandate is narrower than Washington’s. Under ORS 743A.141, health benefit plans must cover hearing aids for enrollees who are 18 or younger, or between 19 and 25 if enrolled in a secondary school or accredited educational institution. The benefit includes one hearing aid per impaired ear, ear molds, batteries, bone conduction processors, and related diagnostic services, available every 36 months.7Oregon Public Law. ORS 743A.141 Individual and small group plans in Oregon cannot impose age-based limits on this coverage.8Oregon Division of Financial Regulation. Bulletin 2018-08
For adults, Oregon has no broad mandate. Coverage through Regence depends on what the employer chose. Some employer-sponsored Regence plans in Oregon do include a hearing aid benefit voluntarily. The City of Milwaukie’s 2026 Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO plan, for example, pays up to $3,000 every four years for hearing aids with no age restriction, plus an annual hearing exam.9City of Milwaukie. Open Enrollment Benefits Guide Regence individual plans sold on the Oregon marketplace generally do not cover hearing aids for adults.
Regence Medicare Advantage
Regence Medicare Advantage plans (both HMO and PPO) offer a separate hearing aid benefit through TruHearing. Members can purchase up to two hearing aids per year at set copayments:10City of Vancouver. TruHearing Flyer – Medicare Advantage 2026
- TruHearing Premium at $999 per aid (average retail $3,250)
- TruHearing Advanced at $699 per aid (average retail $2,720)
- TruHearing Standard at $499 per aid (average retail $1,719)
Hearing exams scheduled through TruHearing and performed by a TruHearing network provider carry a $0 copay. Each purchase includes a 60-day risk-free trial, one year of follow-up visits, a three-year manufacturer warranty covering repairs and a one-time loss-and-damage replacement, and 80 free batteries per non-rechargeable aid. Rechargeable options are an additional $50 per aid. Hearing aids are limited to one per ear per calendar year and are not covered out of network.11Medicare Washington. Summary of Benefits – MedAdvantage + Rx Primary
One procedural step matters: you must activate the benefit by calling TruHearing at 1-855-205-6338 before visiting a provider. Going directly to a provider without initiating through TruHearing may result in no coverage. At least one Regence Medicare Advantage plan, the MedAdvantage + Rx Classic PPO, does not require prior authorization or a physician referral for hearing aids.12FreeHearingTest.org. Regence MedAdvantage + Rx Classic PPO
If Your Plan Still Doesn’t Cover Hearing Aids
Regence offers discount programs through partnerships with Amplifon, TruHearing, and Beltone for members whose plans do not include hearing aid coverage. The Amplifon program, offered through Regence Group Administrators, advertises an average 56% off retail prices, access to more than 2,800 products, a 60-day risk-free trial, one year of free follow-up appointments, a three-year warranty, and two years of free batteries.13Regence Group Administrators. Amplifon Hearing Program These are not insurance benefits. You still pay for the hearing aids; the program just lowers the price.