Rhode Island hearing aid insurance law

What the statute says

In the statute's words: “one thousand seven hundred fifty dollars ($1,750) per individual hearing aid, per ear”

• Group policies must also offer additional hearing aid coverage as an optional rider, except plans under the Small Employer Health Insurance Availability Act.
• The section sets no replacement interval.

The figure against recorded prices

Rhode Island's law (R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-18-60) requires the health insurance it names to cover hearing aids. Who it reaches: no age limit in the current text. The figure it names is $1,750 per hearing aid, per ear. Effective date or scope in the text: Policies delivered, issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. The statute text was read on October 21, 2026 from Rhode Island General Laws, rilegislature.gov.

Because the figure is per hearing aid, per ear, a pair for two ears can draw it twice: up to $3,500. Of the 70 models priced on this site, 64 start at or below that amount, 33 of them fitted or seller-programmed models. At the median fitted starting price of $2,798, the figure would reach 100% of the pair and leave $0 above it. Against the cheapest OTC pair (Audien Atom One, $98) it would reach 100%; against the cheapest Costco package (Philips HearLink 9050, $1,599.99) it would reach 100%; against the cheapest fitted pair (Liberty Clear Lucid, $1,299.98) it would reach 100%. This is arithmetic on the statute's figure only; the policy's deductible, coinsurance and network rules decide what is actually paid.

The section sets no replacement period, so the $1,750 figure is not tied to a number of years in the text read.

Among the 14 states on this site whose statute names a dollar figure, Rhode Island's $3,500 for a pair ranks 7th of 14 from the top. The highest is Georgia at $6,000 and the lowest Tennessee at $2,000, every 4 years and 3 years respectively.

Rhode Island is one of 9 states here whose law reaches people of any age. The others: Arkansas (no age limit, $1,400 per ear), Connecticut (no age limit, no dollar cap), Maine (no age limit, $3,000 per hearing aid, per ear), Minnesota (all individuals, no dollar cap), New Hampshire (no age limit stated, $1,500 per hearing aid), New Jersey (no age limit in this section, no dollar cap), Vermont (any covered individual, no dollar cap) and Washington (all ages; under 18 after medical clearance, no dollar cap).

Five recorded pairs, measured against $3,500

Lowest listed pair price for each model, from the seller and date on its page. The policy's own deductible, coinsurance and network rules are not included.

Medicare and other coverage

State insurance laws apply to the policies they name. Original Medicare is federal, and Medicare.gov states: “Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids or exams for fitting hearing aids.” Some Medicare Advantage plans add a hearing benefit; the plan sets the amount. Medicaid hearing aid coverage for adults was not collected for this page. See Does Medicare cover hearing aids? and the price by channel pages for what each seller's price includes.

Related

• All 25 state hearing aid laws
• All 70 hearing aid prices
• OTC hearing aid prices
• Bundled vs unbundled hearing aid pricing

This page summarizes statute text read on October 21, 2026 and does arithmetic with seller-printed prices. It is not legal or medical advice: whether a policy covers a device depends on the policy, the plan type and federal rules, which the plan and Rhode Island's insurance regulator can confirm.