Hearing Aids & Health Insurance: What You're Entitled to and What You Need to Know
Statutory health insurance covers most of the cost of hearing aids, provided there is a medical need. On this page, we explain who is eligible, the key terms you should know, and how the health insurance system for hearing aids works.
Wondering whether a fully covered hearing aid is enough for your daily life?
Then read our guide to fully covered hearing aids.
Want to know how the Mr. Hear care process works? Learn more about the Mr. Hear care process.
In Brief:
Statutory health insurance provides financial support for hearing aids when they are medically necessary. An ENT prescription is required. In most cases, adults only pay the statutory co-payment.
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The Most Important Facts About Health Insurance Coverage
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Statutory health insurance pays a fixed reimbursement amount per ear
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Adults usually only pay the statutory co-payment of €10 per hearing aid
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A private additional payment is only required for premium hearing aids or extra comfort features
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A medical necessity is required
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A medical prescription is required
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The chosen hearing care provider must be approved by the health insurance company
Does Health Insurance Also Cover Online Hearing Care?
Yes. As long as the provider is certified as an approved healthcare provider, the health insurance company covers the costs just as it would for any other hearing care professional. Mr. Hear is an approved hearing care provider and meets all the required standards.
Learn how online hearing care with health insurance billing works at Mr. Hear on our Mr. Hear care process page.
Mr. Hear meets all requirements for the proper provision of hearing aids.
Präqualifizierung mbH
What Hearing Care Options Are Available?
In general, there are two ways to get your hearing aids:
Traditional Approach
You visit an ENT specialist and then a hearing care professional. Different hearing aids are fitted, you try them out, and then make your choice. The hearing care professional submits the cost estimate to your health insurance company.
Integrated Approach
Some providers combine ENT care and hearing care services into one integrated system. Diagnosis and hearing care work seamlessly together, saving you appointments and often time as well.
Both options are recognized by statutory health insurance. Which one you choose depends on your personal preferences.
How the integrated care process at Mr. Hear works is explained step by step on our care process page.
When Does Health Insurance Cover a Hearing Aid?
Health insurance covers the cost of hearing aids if the following three requirements are met:
An ENT specialist has carried out a hearing test and prescribed hearing aids.
Whether your hearing loss meets the requirements is determined by your ENT specialist based on your hearing test results. In most cases, it is sufficient that speech understanding in everyday life is demonstrably impaired. You do not need to know the exact threshold values yourself – your doctor will determine this during the hearing test.
The legal entitlement to hearing aid coverage is set out in Section 33 of the German Social Code V (SGB V), while the fixed reimbursement system is regulated in Section 36 of the German Social Code V (SGB V).This can be a local hearing care professional or a certified online provider such as Mr. Hear.
Important: Health insurance does not automatically cover the full cost of every hearing aid. It pays a fixed reimbursement amount. You can find out what this covers and when you do not have to make any additional payment in our guide to hearing aids with no additional payment.
Fixed Reimbursement, Co-payment and Additional Payment – Explained Simply
When it comes to hearing aids, these three terms come up again and again:
Fixed Reimbursement
Fixed reimbursement amountThe amount your health insurance pays for each hearing aid. The amount is based on the current reimbursement rates and may vary depending on your insurance provider and individual care situation. Additional allowances are available for earmolds and service.
Co-payment
The statutory co-payment of €10 per hearing aid that every insured person aged 18 or over must pay, regardless of the hearing aid selected.
Additional Payment
Private contributionThis only applies if you choose a hearing aid that exceeds the fixed reimbursement amount. You pay the difference yourself. There is no additional payment for a standard insurance-covered hearing aid.
Detailed comparison: In our guide, we explain in detail what insurance-covered hearing aids include and when paying extra is worthwhile.
What Does Health Insurance Actually Cover? – Here's How to Calculate It
The following examples show how the costs of hearing aid provision are typically structured. Please note: The actual amounts depend on your health insurance provider, the provider you choose, and your individual hearing care situation. These figures are for guidance only.
Example A: Insurance-covered hearing aids with no additional payment (both ears)
With a standard insurance-covered hearing aid, health insurance covers all costs except the statutory co-payment. Your additional payment: none.
Example B: Hearing aids with an additional payment (both ears)
Depending on the hearing aids you choose, the additional payment can range from a few hundred to more than one thousand euros per ear.
Which Hearing Aids Are Covered by Health Insurance?
Health insurance generally covers hearing aids that provide adequate medical hearing care. Today, hearing aids with no additional payment are usually digital devices and must meet certain minimum technical requirements.
These typically include:-
Digital signal processing
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Multiple hearing programs
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Background noise reduction
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Feedback suppression
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Suitable microphone technology for everyday use
This means that insurance-covered hearing aids are technically more advanced than many people expect. However, not every comfort feature, design, or technology level is automatically included in standard health insurance coverage.
Expert Insights from a Master Hearing Care Professional
In this video, master hearing care professional Erik Foth explains what really matters when getting hearing aids through health insurance.
Source: Expert insights from master hearing care professional Erik Foth | Co-founder of Mr. Hear.
How Often Does Health Insurance Cover New Hearing Aids? (Initial & Replacement Hearing Aids)
In most cases, health insurance will only cover new hearing aids again after several years. As a general guideline, this is usually around six years.
Earlier replacement may be possible in individual cases, for example:-
if your hearing has changed significantly
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if your current hearing aids no longer provide adequate hearing care
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if a defect can no longer be repaired reasonably
Whether replacement hearing aids can be approved before the usual period has passed always depends on the individual medical and hearing care situation.
Which Special Cases Should You Be Aware Of?
Not every hearing aid fitting can be explained using a standard reimbursement model. In practice, additional factors often play an important role:
- Bluetooth hearing aids – Not automatically included in standard health insurance coverage; this depends on the provider and the hearing aid model. At Mr. Hear, all insurance-covered hearing aids are Bluetooth-enabled.
- Rechargeable hearing aids – Generally available within the standard insurance tariff, but not from every provider. Ask specifically about this option.
- Very small or invisible designs – In-the-ear hearing aids and particularly discreet models are usually not fully covered by health insurance and require an additional payment.
- CROS or BiCROS hearing systems – A special solution for single-sided hearing loss. Recognized by health insurance but requires a specific medical prescription.
- Tinnitus combination solutions – Some hearing aids include integrated tinnitus therapy features. Whether these are covered by health insurance depends on the individual case.
- Earmolds and replacements – Custom-made earmolds are included in health insurance coverage. Replacements are generally covered again after the usual period of use.
- Replacement before the usual interval – Possible in justified cases, for example if your hearing has significantly deteriorated or your hearing aids cannot be repaired. A medical statement is required.
- Private health insurance or civil servant healthcare benefits – Different rules apply than with statutory health insurance. The reimbursement amount depends on your individual tariff—we are happy to help you clarify your coverage.
In these situations especially, professional advice is important because medical necessity, technology, and possible additional payments may differ from case to case.
3 Common Mistakes When Getting Health Insurance Coverage for Hearing Aids
Mistake 1: Visiting a hearing care professional without an ENT prescription.
Some hearing care professionals begin the fitting process without a prescription, but your health insurance may then refuse to cover the costs. Always visit an ENT specialist first.
Mistake 2: Not checking the cost estimate.
The cost estimate shows whether you will have to make any additional payment. Review it carefully before signing. You have the right to choose a hearing aid covered by health insurance with no additional payment.
Mistake 3: Not knowing about the six-year replacement period.
You are generally entitled to new hearing aids every six years. Many people wait longer than necessary. Make a note of the date when you received your last hearing aids.
Check Whether This Hearing Care Option Is Available for You
We have partnership agreements with several statutory health insurance providers for this streamlined hearing care pathway. You can check, without any obligation, whether this option is available to you.
No obligation · No registration required · Takes about 1 minute
Frequently Asked Questions About Health Insurance Coverage
- Does every health insurance provider cover hearing aids?
- Yes. Statutory health insurance providers generally contribute toward the cost of medically necessary hearing aids. The exact coverage may vary depending on the insurance provider, contractual agreements, and the hearing care pathway.
- Do I always need to see an ENT specialist?
- Yes. A prescription from an ENT specialist is required for health insurance to cover the costs.
- What does health insurance pay for hearing aids?
- Health insurance covers medically necessary hearing aids by providing the contractually agreed reimbursement for adequate hearing care. This usually includes not only the hearing aids themselves but also the fitting and other parts of the hearing care process. The exact benefits depend on the hearing care pathway and the individual health insurance provider.
- Which hearing aids are covered by health insurance?
- Health insurance generally covers hearing aids that provide adequate medical hearing care. Today, hearing aids with no additional payment are usually digital and must meet certain minimum technical requirements. However, additional comfort features or special designs may require a private additional payment.
- What is the difference between the statutory co-payment and an additional payment?
- The statutory co-payment is the fixed amount adults usually have to pay, typically €10 per hearing aid. An additional private payment applies only if you choose hearing aids that go beyond the standard health insurance coverage.
- Can I still have to pay despite receiving reimbursement?
- Yes. Adults usually pay the statutory co-payment of €10 per hearing aid. Additional private costs only arise if you choose higher-specification hearing aids or extra comfort features.
- How often does health insurance cover new hearing aids?
- Health insurance usually covers new hearing aids only after several years. As a general guideline, this period is around six years. Earlier replacement is only possible in justified individual cases.
Good to know: Whether additional costs really have to be paid privately is not always clear-cut. In a ruling from June 2025, the German Federal Social Court clarified that health insurance may also be required to reimburse hearing aids exceeding the fixed reimbursement amount if a measurable audiological benefit for the individual can be demonstrated (Federal Social Court (BSG), B 3 KR 5/24 R).