TRICARE Now Covers Hearing Aids for Children of ...

FALLS CHURCH, Va. - If you're a parent, you understand the important role hearing plays in your child's overall health and well-being. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hearing loss can limit a child's ability to develop speech, language, and social skills. Early intervention and treatment of hearing loss is key to ensuring your child doesn't miss any developmental milestones. If you're a military retiree, there's some good news from TRICARE.

TRICARE has recently expanded its hearing aid coverage to include eligible children of retired service members. This new coverage results from a new statute. It aims to improve access to life-changing medical technology and help eligible children of retired service members get the hearing aids they need.

"Before the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, TRICARE coverage of hearing aids was limited to dependents of active duty service members with qualifying hearing loss," said Erica Ferron, management and program analyst, TRICARE Health Plan, at the Defense Health Agency. "Now, more TRICARE beneficiaries will be able to receive hearing aids and services."

Keep reading to learn about eligibility, coverage, and more.

Who is eligible?

Are you a retiree? Your child may qualify for hearing aid coverage if:

• You're entitled to retired or retainer pay, or equivalent pay; and
• Your child is enrolled in TRICARE Prime. This includes the US Family Health Plan, as described in the TRICARE Plans Overview Fact Sheet.

The benefit covers unmarried children of living sponsors who are:

• Under 21 years old, or
• A full-time college student aged 21-23, or
• Unable to support themselves due to a disability that started before age 21 (or before 23 if they were a student)

This includes:

• Biological children
• Adopted children
• Stepchildren
• Children placed in your legal care by a court

Does my child's hearing loss qualify?

To get coverage for hearing aids, your child needs to take a hearing test. They must demonstrate at least 26 decibels of hearing loss in one or both ears.

Important things to know

• Your child must be enrolled in TRICARE Prime or the US Family Health Plan.
• Coverage is retroactive to Dec. 22, 2023. If your child got hearing aids or services on or after that date, you can file for reimbursement for TRICARE covered services. But it won't happen automatically. You must file a claim with your regional contractor.

Special cases

If you're interested in exploring TRICARE's expanded coverage of hearing aids, note that the coverage isn't available overseas. If your child lives in the U.S. but travels overseas, they can keep their coverage, but they need special approval for overseas care.

TRICARE doesn't cover hearing aids for retirees. You may, however, qualify for other special programs. Check out TRICARE's hearing aids page to learn more.

Remember, for your child to get this benefit, your child must have TRICARE Prime and a qualifying hearing loss. The ability to hear properly is essential for your child's social and physical development. If your child is eligible, be sure to take advantage of this new TRICARE coverage.

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