Georgia Medicaid does cover hearing aids, but only for beneficiaries under 21. Adults age 21 and older are not covered except in narrow circumstances, and cochlear implants are the main exception. Adults who need help paying for hearing aids can apply to a separate state-funded program run through the Georgia Charitable Care Network.
Full Coverage for Children and Young Adults Under 21
If the patient is under 21, hearing aids are covered. Federal law requires state Medicaid programs to pay for any medically necessary service for people in this age group through the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit. In Georgia, that includes 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 The mandate comes from Section 1905(a) of the Social Security Act, which requires treatment “to correct or ameliorate defects and physical and mental illnesses or conditions,” and specifically names hearing disorders.
PeachCare for Kids, Georgia’s CHIP program, mirrors Medicaid on hearing benefits. 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
Adults 21 and Older Are Not Covered
There is no federal requirement for Medicaid to cover hearing aids for adults, and Georgia has opted out. Georgia Medicaid pays for adult hearing exams, but not for the hearing aids themselves, except in what the state calls “narrow circumstances.”3Brevy. Georgia Medicaid Covered Services
The state’s newer coverage pathway does not close this gap. Pathways to Coverage, launched in 2023, limits hearing aid coverage to members ages 19 and 20; anyone over 20 is excluded.4CareSource. Georgia Pathways to Coverage Provider Manual Addendum The state’s home- and community-based waiver programs, including the Community Care Services Program (CCSP) and the SOURCE waiver, also do not list hearing aids among their covered services.5DB101 Georgia. Georgia Medicaid Covered Services Georgia added adult dental coverage in July 2024, but adult hearing aid coverage has not changed.3Brevy. Georgia Medicaid Covered Services
Cochlear Implants for Adults
Cochlear implants are the one significant exception for adult beneficiaries. Georgia Medicaid covers implantation for adults with severe-to-profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss who get limited benefit from properly fitted hearing aids. Coverage includes the surgery, the implant device, activation, and roughly six to twelve months of post-implant audiologic rehabilitation. Processor upgrades are covered on a schedule tied to manufacturer guidelines.6Brevy. Georgia Medicaid Hearing Aid Coverage
The surgery must be done at a credentialed center. In Georgia, those 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.
The Georgia Hearing Aid Distribution Program
Adults who need conventional hearing aids and cannot afford them have a state-funded option outside Medicaid. The Georgia Hearing Aid Distribution Program is funded by the Georgia Public Service Commission and administered by the Georgia Charitable Care Network (GCCN).7Georgia Public Service Commission. Georgia Hearing Aid Distribution Program
Who Qualifies
- Georgia residency for at least one year.
- Age 18 or older (20 and older for the 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 and a copy of the audiogram.
Children under 19 have a separate track with a higher income ceiling of 400% of the federal poverty guidelines, available to those not eligible 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 contact that provider and get them to accept you as a new patient. You will need a hearing test less than six months old, performed by a GCCN-approved provider, and either a signed medical clearance from a physician or a signed medical waiver. Applications can be submitted through the GCCN grants portal online, or downloaded and returned by mail or fax.8Georgia Charitable Care Network. Georgia Hearing Aid Dispatch
The program is not free. You pay for your own hearing test and a copayment on the aids. Processing takes about six to seven weeks once the file is complete. If required documents are not submitted within three months, the file is treated as abandoned and you must 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: 2897 N. Druid Hills Rd. NE #116, Atlanta, GA 30329. Fax: 866-329-8147.8Georgia Charitable Care Network. Georgia Hearing Aid Dispatch
Where This Might Change
Georgia is one of a shrinking minority of states that exclude adult hearing aids from Medicaid. As of late 2023, 32 states covered hearing aids for adults 21 and older, up from 28 in 2017.10Health Affairs. Medicaid Hearing Aid Coverage Study Hearing aids typically run $3,000 to $6,000 per pair, so the gap matters. At the federal level, the Help Extend Auditory Relief (HEAR) Act, introduced in November 2025, would require Medicare, not Medicaid, to cover prescription hearing aids and related services; if it passes, dually eligible Georgians on both Medicare and Medicaid would see costs drop.11Office of Rep. Kevin Mullin. Reps. Mullin, Lawler Introduce Bill to Require Medicare Cover Hearing Aids