Hearing aid coverage and laws in Oklahoma

Oklahoma at a glance

Does Oklahoma Medicaid cover hearing aids?

Oklahoma Medicaid covers hearing aids for children, not adults. Listed as a children's benefit; no adult coverage. ^[1]

Children and young adults under 21 are a different case. Medicaid's EPSDT benefit requires states to cover the care they need, which includes hearing aids. ^[9]

If you get Medicaid through a managed care plan, ask the plan how hearing aid approvals work and which providers it uses. Our state-by-state Medicaid guide explains how the benefit usually works.

Does Oklahoma require insurance to cover hearing aids?

Oklahoma requires state-regulated health plans to cover hearing aids for children only. Who's covered: up to 18. Benefit can be limited to once every 48 months per ear, with no dollar cap. ^[2]

State mandates only reach fully insured plans, the kind bought from an insurance company. Self-funded employer plans follow federal ERISA law instead, so a state mandate may not apply to your job's plan. ^[11] Ask HR whether your plan is fully insured or self-funded. More in our private insurance guide.

Oklahoma hearing aid trial period and return rights

You get 30 days from delivery to cancel for any reason. The seller can keep up to 10% of the price or $150 per hearing aid, whichever is less. The clock pauses while the seller has the aid. ^[3]

Consumer Reports says most states require at least a 30-day trial for prescription hearing aids. ^[12] NIDCD notes that most makers allow 30 to 60 days and suggests asking which fees aren't refundable. ^[13] Whatever the law, put the trial length, fees and warranty on the purchase agreement.

Over-the-counter hearing aids follow federal rules: the maker must print its return policy on the package, or say it has none. ^[14]

Free amplified and captioned phones in Oklahoma

Oklahoma Equipment Distribution Program (Oklahoma School for the Deaf). Oklahoma residents with a verified hearing or speech impairment can get captioned phones, alerting devices and doorbell signalers at little or no cost, based on household income. ^[4]

These programs are separate from hearing aid coverage. They can help even if you already wear hearing aids.

Who licenses hearing care providers in Oklahoma

• Oklahoma Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology: audiologists ^[5]
• Oklahoma State Department of Health, Hearing Aid Dealers and Fitters: hearing aid dispensers ^[6]

Use the board to check that a provider's license is current, or to file a complaint about a sale or a refund.

Oklahoma hearing aid programs

• Oklahoma Senior Citizens Hearing Aid Program. Provides one hearing aid to Oklahoma residents 60 and older with limited income and a hearing loss of 35 decibels or more in the better ear. ^[7]
• Oklahoma Children's Hearing Aid Program. Provides two hearing aids to school-age Oklahoma children when Medicaid or private insurance cannot cover them. Proof of household income is required. ^[8]

Other ways to pay for hearing aids in Oklahoma

• Medicare. Original Medicare doesn't pay for hearing aids. ^[15] Some Medicare Advantage plans add a hearing benefit, usually through a network. See Medicare and hearing aids and how Medicare Advantage hearing networks work.
• VA. Eligible veterans can get hearing aids through VA health care. ^[16] See hearing aids through the VA.
• Lower-cost options. OTC hearing aids, warehouse clubs, nonprofit programs and university clinics. See free and low-cost hearing aids and what hearing aids cost.
• Estimate your cost. The hearing aid cost estimator combines these Oklahoma rules with typical prices.

Find hearing care in Oklahoma

The directory lists 173 hearing care providers in Oklahoma, with 157 audiologists registered at those addresses. By our count of the federal registry, Oklahoma has 4.4 audiologists per 100,000 residents, which ranks #29 of 51.

Cities with the most listings: Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Edmond, Stillwater, Enid, Bartlesville, Lawton, Midwest City, Yukon, Moore. Or browse every Oklahoma hearing clinic.