Aetna Medicare Advantage review

Original Medicare does not cover hearing aids or the exams for fitting them, according to Medicare.gov, so many older adults get hearing cover through a Medicare Advantage plan instead. Aetna says many of its Medicare Advantage plans cover an annual hearing exam and hearing aid fitting at no additional cost, and many include coverage for hearing aids. For many plans, these dental, vision and hearing benefits are already included in the premium. That makes it the simplest route if you are already choosing a Medicare Advantage plan: no extra policy and no separate membership. The downside is that Aetna's overview does not publish allowance amounts, which differ by plan and county, so you need to read the plan's Summary of Benefits. Aetna also lists an OTC benefit and SilverSneakers among its added benefits. Plans are listed by ZIP code on Aetna's site. We compared documented features and published prices.

Who it is for

People choosing a Medicare Advantage plan who want hearing cover built into their health plan.

Price

See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Many plans cover an annual hearing exam and hearing aid fitting at no additional cost
• Many plans include coverage for hearing aids
• Dental, vision and hearing benefits often included in the plan premium
• OTC benefit and SilverSneakers listed among added benefits
• ZIP code plan search on Aetna's site

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Hearing cover comes with your main health plan, no separate policy
• Strength: Annual hearing exam and fitting often at no extra cost
• Strength: Bundles dental, vision and other extras
• Weakness: Hearing benefits differ by plan and county
• Weakness: Aetna's overview page does not list allowance amounts
• Weakness: Prices and benefits are shown only after a ZIP code search

Key facts

• Hearing exam: Covered at no extra cost in many plans
• Hearing aids: Covered in many plans, amount varies
• Premium: Varies by plan and county
• Other extras: Dental, vision, OTC benefit, SilverSneakers
• Plan search: By ZIP code on Aetna's site

Where it ranks

Aetna Medicare Advantage is No. 9 in our Best Hearing Aid Insurance Plans verdict.