Hearing aids through the VA: eligibility and how to apply

Yes, the VA provides hearing aids, and for eligible veterans they're free. If a VA audiologist recommends and fits hearing aids, the aids, repairs and future batteries come at no charge for as long as you keep your eligibility for VA care ^[1].

There are two separate VA tracks, and many veterans need both. VA health care is how you get tested and fitted for hearing aids. VA disability compensation is how you get paid for hearing loss or tinnitus connected to your service. This guide walks through each one.

Who qualifies for VA hearing aids

You must be receiving VA care first. VA furnishes hearing aids "only to veterans otherwise receiving VA care or services" and only under the rules in 38 CFR 17.149 ^[2]. In practice, that means enrolling in VA health care and then seeing a VA audiologist, who makes the clinical decision about whether you need hearing aids or other hearing devices ^[1].

The regulation lists who VA will furnish needed hearing aids to ^[2]:

Group	Who it covers
Compensable service-connected disability	Any service-connected condition rated above 0%, not only hearing
Former prisoners of war	All former POWs
Purple Heart recipients	All recipients
38 U.S.C. 1151 benefits	Veterans receiving benefits for injury from VA care
Increased pension	Veterans paid extra for aid and attendance or for being permanently housebound
Hearing loss from another condition	Loss caused by a medical condition VA is treating, or by the treatment itself
Functional or cognitive impairment	Significant impairment shown by trouble with activities of daily living
Severe hearing impairment	Loss severe enough that hearing aids are needed for you to take an active part in your own medical treatment

There's one more route. If your hearing loss is service-connected but rated 0%, VA will still provide hearing aids when testing shows a qualifying hearing impairment that contributes to a loss of communication ability. In that case the aids are provided for the service-connected hearing disability ^[2].

If you don't see yourself on the list, apply anyway. The last group depends on how much your hearing loss affects your care, and that's a judgment the audiologist makes after testing ^[1][2].

How to get hearing aids through the VA, step by step

1. Apply for VA health care. Use VA Form 10-10EZ. You can apply online at VA.gov, by phone at 877-222-8387 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET), by mail to the Health Eligibility Center, PO Box 5207, Janesville, WI 53547-5207, or in person at a VA medical center or clinic ^[3].
2. Gather your paperwork. Have your DD214 or other separation papers, Social Security numbers for you and your dependents, and insurance cards for all coverage, including Medicare and employer plans ^[3]. VA may ask for last year's household income if you don't qualify on other grounds ^[3].
3. Register at your VA medical center. The VA's hearing aid page says to register at the health administration or enrollment section of the VA medical center you choose ^[1].
4. Book a hearing evaluation. Once registered, schedule an appointment at the Audiology and Speech Pathology Clinic ^[1].
5. Get fitted. If the audiologist recommends hearing aids, they're fitted at no charge to you ^[1]. Plan on follow-up visits while you adjust. Our guide to the first 30 days with hearing aids covers what's normal.
6. Set up supply reorders. Batteries and accessories come by mail from the VA Denver Logistics Center (see the next section).

To see what your test results mean, read how to read your audiogram.

Batteries, accessories and repairs

You can order hearing aid supplies if you're enrolled in VA health care, registered as a patient at a VA medical center, and a VA provider prescribed the supplies or the hearing aids they go with ^[4].

What you need	How to order
Batteries	Call 303-273-6200 and press 1 for the automated reorder system [1][4]
Accessories such as wax guards	Call 303-273-6200 and press 2 to speak with a representative [1][4]
Hearing aid repairs	Call 303-273-6200 and press 3 [1]
Order by mail	Fill out VA Form 2346a (it comes in your last order box) and mail it to VA Denver Logistics Center, PO Box 25166, Denver, CO 80225-0166 [4]
Order online	Available at VA.gov if you've ordered hearing aid or CPAP supplies from VA in the past 2 years [4]

Phone lines run Monday through Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET ^[4]. Orders usually arrive in 7 to 10 days, and each order should last about 6 months, so reorder when you have about 30 days left ^[4].

Tinnitus and hearing loss as service-connected disabilities

Hearing problems are among the most common conditions VA compensates. In fiscal year 2025, tinnitus was the single most prevalent service-connected disability among the 6,338,253 veterans receiving compensation, with 3,583,295 rated cases. Hearing loss ranked sixth, with 1,690,837 ^[7].

How tinnitus is rated. Recurrent tinnitus carries a 10% rating ^[5]. VA assigns only one rating for it, whether the sound is in one ear, both ears or in your head ^[5]. A tinnitus rating can be combined with a separate rating for hearing loss ^[5]. Tinnitus that other people can also hear, and that has a definable cause, is rated as part of the underlying condition instead ^[5].

How hearing loss is tested for a claim. The exam must be done by a state-licensed audiologist and must include a Maryland CNC speech discrimination test and a pure-tone audiometry test. It's done without your hearing aids ^[6].

A disability rating and hearing aids are separate decisions. A compensable rating for any condition puts you in one of the groups that qualifies for hearing aids ^[2], but you don't need a hearing-related rating to be fitted. For treatment options that go beyond hearing aids, see tinnitus treatments with real evidence.

How to file a claim for hearing loss or tinnitus

To be eligible for disability compensation, you need a current condition and service on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training ^[8]. The condition must also be connected to service in at least one of these ways ^[8]:

• It started while you were serving.
• You had it before you joined, and service made it worse.
• It's related to your service but didn't appear until after you left.

Some discharge statuses, including other than honorable, bad conduct and dishonorable, may make you ineligible. VA offers discharge upgrades and Character of Discharge reviews ^[8].

To file, use VA Form 21-526EZ online, by mail, in person at a VA regional office, or with help from an accredited attorney, claims agent or Veterans Service Organization representative ^[9]. If you file on paper, submit an intent to file first. It can lock in an earlier start date for back pay while you gather evidence. Online claims set that date when you start the form ^[9].

Evidence that helps includes VA and private medical records, and statements from family, friends or people you served with ^[9]. VA also reviews your DD214 and service treatment records, and it may schedule a claim exam. You have up to one year from the date VA receives your claim to send more evidence ^[9].

Checklist before your first VA hearing appointment

• DD214 or other separation papers ^[3]
• Insurance cards, including Medicare ^[3]
• A list of medicines you take
• Notes on when you first noticed hearing trouble or ringing, and any noise exposure in service
• Questions for the audiologist:
  • Do I qualify for hearing aids under VA's rules, and on what basis?
  • Which hearing aid styles are available to me?
  • How do I get follow-up adjustments, and who do I call if an aid breaks?
  • Should I also file a disability claim for hearing loss or tinnitus?

If you don't qualify for VA hearing aids

You still have options. Original Medicare doesn't pay for hearing aids, but many Medicare Advantage plans include a hearing benefit. See does Medicare cover hearing aids. To compare local clinics, audiologists and hearing aid specialists, search our hearing provider directory.