Does Regence Cover Hearing Aids? WA 2026, OR, and Medicare

Whether Regence covers hearing aids depends on your plan type, your state, and when the plan year begins. In Washington, plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 are required to cover hearing aids as an Essential Health Benefit. Regence Medicare Advantage plans include a separate hearing aid benefit through TruHearing. In Oregon, coverage is mandated for children and some young adults, while adult coverage depends on the employer’s plan. And self-insured employer plans, regardless of state, may be exempt from these rules altogether.

Washington Plans Renewing in 2026 or Later

Washington law now treats hearing aids as an Essential Health Benefit. For plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, carriers must cover one hearing aid per ear every 36 months with no annual or lifetime dollar cap.¹ Covered services include the initial assessment, fitting, adjustment, auditory training, and ear molds.

These services are generally not subject to a deductible, with an exception for qualifying high-deductible plans paired with a health savings account.¹ Carriers can still require prior authorization. For children under 18, coverage requires medical clearance from an otolaryngologist within the preceding six months, or from a licensed physician if there has been no change since the initial evaluation.

Large group employer plans (more than 51 employees), the state’s public school workforce, and state employees under the Public Employees Benefits Board have already had a $3,000-per-ear-every-36-months minimum in place since January 1, 2024, under earlier legislation.²

One caveat for Washington individual plan holders: Regence’s own 2026 individual plan brochure lists hearing aids under a “members-only discounts” category rather than as a standard covered benefit, and the plan documents describe cost-sharing for hearing exams without explicitly listing hearing aids as a covered medical expense.³ If you have a Regence individual plan on the Washington HealthPlanFinder, call Regence to confirm how the new mandate applies to your specific renewal date.

Washington Plans That May Still Not Cover Hearing Aids

Self-insured employer plans are regulated by federal ERISA law rather than by Washington state insurance law, and they are generally exempt from state coverage mandates. Some city and county governments and major private employers use self-insured arrangements.² If your Regence card is tied to a self-insured plan, hearing aid coverage is not guaranteed.

Traditional Medicare, being federal, has no state-mandated hearing aid benefit either. Coverage in that situation depends on whether you have a Medicare Advantage plan.

Regence Medicare Advantage and TruHearing

Regence Medicare Advantage plans, both HMO and PPO, include a hearing aid benefit administered through TruHearing. Members can get up to two hearing aids per year at set copayments:⁴

TruHearing Premium at $999 per aid, compared to an average retail price of $3,250
TruHearing Advanced at $699 per aid, average retail $2,720
TruHearing Standard at $499 per aid, average retail $1,719

A hearing exam scheduled through TruHearing and performed by a TruHearing network provider has 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 run an additional $50 per aid.⁴

There is a critical procedural step. You must activate the benefit by calling TruHearing at 1-855-205-6338 before visiting a provider. Going directly to a hearing aid provider without initiating through TruHearing may result in no coverage.⁴ Hearing aids are limited to one per ear per calendar year and are not covered out of network.⁵ At least one plan, the MedAdvantage + Rx Classic PPO, does not require prior authorization or a physician referral.⁶

Oregon Plans

Oregon’s 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 19 to 25 if enrolled in a secondary school or accredited educational institution.⁷ Coverage includes one hearing aid per impaired ear, ear molds, batteries, bone conduction processors, and related diagnostic services, available every 36 months. Individual and small group plans in Oregon cannot impose age-based limits on this coverage.⁸

For adults, Oregon has no broad state mandate. Some employer-sponsored Regence plans do include a benefit voluntarily. As one example, the City of Milwaukie’s 2026 Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO plan covers up to $3,000 every four years with no age restriction, plus an annual hearing exam.⁹ Regence individual plans purchased on the Oregon marketplace generally do not cover hearing aids for adults. Check your Summary of Benefits before assuming coverage exists.

Discount Programs If Your Plan Doesn’t Cover Hearing Aids

When a Regence plan lacks a hearing aid benefit, members can still access discount programs through partnerships with Amplifon, TruHearing, and Beltone. The Amplifon program, offered through Regence Group Administrators, advertises an average of 56% off retail prices, access to more than 2,800 products from major brands, a 60-day risk-free trial, one year of free follow-up appointments, a three-year warranty, and two years of free batteries.¹⁰ These are discount programs, not insurance benefits. You still pay for the hearing aids; the program just reduces the price.

If You Paid Out of Pocket in Washington Before 2026

Washington Regence members who paid for hearing aids themselves in past years were the class in E.S. v. Regence BlueShield (Case No. 2:17-cv-1609, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington), which alleged that categorical hearing aid exclusions violated Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and Washington anti-discrimination law.¹¹ Regence denied the allegations and agreed to 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.¹² People enrolled in large group plans from January 1, 2024 onward were excluded, since those plans already had to cover hearing aids under Washington law.

The claim filing window has closed. The deadline was February 3, 2026, with a court-approved extension for late claims through March 11, 2026, and a May 27, 2026 deadline for claimants who received defect notices about incomplete submissions.¹³ Final approval was granted on March 20, 2026 by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones. Payments will be distributed once any appeals are resolved and claim adjudication sets the final pro rata payout percentage, which class counsel estimated at roughly 30 to 60 percent of claimed amounts.¹⁴

1
Washington State Legislature. RCW 48.43.135
2
Hearing Loss Association of America – WA. New Insurance Benefits for Hearing Aids in Washington State
3
Regence. Consumer Plan Brochure – Regence Individual
4
City of Vancouver. TruHearing Flyer – Medicare Advantage
5
Medicare Washington. Summary of Benefits – MedAdvantage + Rx Primary
6
FreeHearingTest.org. Regence MedAdvantage + Rx Classic PPO
7
Oregon Public Law. ORS 743A.141
8
Oregon Division of Financial Regulation. Bulletin 2018-08
9
City of Milwaukie. Open Enrollment Benefits Guide
10
Regence Group Administrators. Amplifon Hearing Program
11
ClassAction.org. E.S. v. Regence BlueShield – Settlement Agreement
12
ClassAction.org. E.S. v. Regence BlueShield – Long Form Notice
13
WA Hearing Aid Settlement. WA Hearing Aid Settlement – FAQ
14
WA Hearing Aid Settlement. Motion for Preliminary Approval