UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare plans and hearing coverage: What to know
UnitedHealthcare (UHC) is a private insurance company that administers Medicare Advantage plans, most of which provide hearing coverage.
These plans often include benefits not available to those with an Original Medicare plan.
Insurers, such as UHC, usually include additional coverage for services including:
prescribed medications
routine vision care
routine dental care
hearing care
Some plans also include fitness and well-being benefits.
Glossary of Medicare terms
We may use a few terms in this article that can be helpful to understand when selecting the best insurance plan:
Out-of-pocket costs: An out-of-pocket cost is the amount a person must pay for medical care when Medicare does not pay the total cost or offer coverage. These costs can include deductibles, coinsurance, copayments, and premiums.
Deductible: This is an annual amount a person must spend out of pocket within a certain period before an insurer starts to fund their treatments.
Coinsurance: This is the percentage of treatment costs that a person must self-fund. For Medicare Part B, this is 20%.
Copayment: This is a fixed dollar amount a person with insurance pays when receiving certain treatments. For Medicare, this usually applies to prescription drugs.
Medicare Advantage overview
This article originally appeared on Medical News Today
There are different types of Medicare Advantage plans available, but the most common are:
Health Maintenance Organization (HMO): A person with an HMO can choose from in-network healthcare providers, but they must select a primary care physician (PCP) to coordinate their care and obtain a referral to see a specialist.
Health Maintenance Organization Point-of-service (HMO-POS): A person has the same provider setup as the HMO plan outlined above, but may also have a choice of out-of-network providers.
Preferred Provider Organization (PPO): A person can visit a healthcare provider whether they are in or out-of-network. They do not need to choose a PCP, while PCPs are not required to give specialist referrals.
Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS): Plan providers preset how much they will pay for healthcare services in a PFFS plan. They also decide how much a person will pay for care. Individuals do not have to choose a PCP, and a PCP is not required to give specialist referrals.
Special Needs Plans (SNP): If a person has a chronic health condition, is eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, or will be admitted to a healthcare facility, these plans provide tailor-made benefits, including prescription drugs.
Medical Savings Account (MSA): This plan combines a high-deductible health plan with a savings account, and some may offer coverage for additional services like hearing care.
Of these plans, UHC offers:
HMOs
HMO-POS plans
PPOs
SNPs
All policies provide routine hearing care.
UHC plans
Private companies are not obligated to administer every Medicare Advantage plan in all areas.
UHC’s HMO, HMO-POS, and PPO plans are available in most areas throughout the United States. However, their SNPs are more limited in availability.
There are three types of UHC SNPs. One plan serves a person eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, known as dual eligibility. UHC manages the benefits of both programs under one health insurance policy.
The second type of SNP involves individuals with chronic health conditions, including but not limited to heart disease and diabetes.
The third type of SNP is for individuals living in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes.
Availability can vary by state or county, so a person must check specific plan options based on location.
UHC also offers group plan HMO and PPOs through a person’s employer. Employees who are eligible for Medicare can enroll.
Coverage
Most UHC Medicare Advantage plans include coverage for hearing exams and hearing aids. The coverage amount depends on the plan a person chooses and their location.
Testing an individual’s hearing may begin with a Primary Care Physician (PCP). The PCP can usually perform a screening in their office to determine whether a specialist referral and further diagnostic tests are necessary.
A hearing specialist examines the test results to determine the presence and type of hearing loss, allowing them to recommend appropriate treatments.
UHC’s hearing-related costs
The table below shows an example of hearing-related costs based on Medicare Advantage plans, starting in 2025, in the 77010 zip code in Houston, TX.
| Hearing Exams | Hearing Aids |
|---|---|---|
In-network: $0 copayment | 2 every year with a $119–1,249 copayment | |
1 per year with a $0 copayment | 2 every year with a $119–1,429 copayment | |
In-network: $0 copayment | 2 every year with a $119–1,249 copayment | |
1 per year with a $0 copayment | 2 every year with a $119–1,249 copayment |
Other UHC plan benefits
Many UHC Medicare Advantage Plans also offer other benefits with $0 copayments, including:
routine vision care
routine dental care
doctor’s appointments, whether in-person, by phone, or online
a telehealth service, allowing a person to speak with a healthcare provider 24 hours per day, 7 days per week
UHC Medicare Advantage plans also include a fitness and well-being program called RenewActive. The program features a free gym membership and access to fitness locations nationwide.
Coverage with UHC also includes travel throughout the U.S. and worldwide emergency and urgent care.
Medicare resources
For more resources to help guide you through the complex world of medical insurance, visit our Medicare hub.
Help with costs
There are options to help pay for hearing aids using local, state, or national resources.
A person can contact local programs, including:
speech and hearing centers
organizations serving older adults
deaf community centers
hearing aid banks
Below are some organizations that may help with costs.
Starkey Cares: This corporate social responsibility initiative improves people’s lives by providing affordable hearing aids. Phone (855-686-2202) for more information.
Help America Hear: This group helps people with limited incomes with the costs associated with hearing aids. Phone (888-580-8886) for more information.
National Hearing Aid Project: This group helps people with limited incomes receive hearing-related services, including hearing aids. Phone (816-333-8300) for more information.
About hearing loss
Around one-third of older adults in the United States experience hearing loss, which can be due to aging, disease, or genetics.
There are three primary types of hearing loss:
Conductive hearing loss: Occurs when sound cannot pass through the ear canal. Doctors can sometimes treat this with prescription drugs or surgery.
Sensorineural hearing loss: Occurs following damage to the inner ear or irregularities with the nerves that run from the inner ear to the brain.
Mixed hearing loss: A doctor may diagnose a person with mixed hearing loss if they have a combination of the two conditions above.
Summary
UHC is a health insurance provider administering Medicare Advantage plans with hearing coverage.
The company offers four different types of Medicare Advantage plans, which include HMOs, HMO-POS plans, PPOs, and SNPs.
All plans cover in-network hearing care and hearing aids, if a person needs them. Out-of-pocket expenses apply in most cases, while some out-of-network options are also available.
People who need help with the costs associated with hearing and hearing aids have various options to explore, including seeking help through local and national groups.
View the original article on Medical News Today
