Quick Answer: Several real nonprofit and government programs help pay for hearing aids in 2026: Lions Clubs International and the Hearing Aid Project (run by Hearing Charities of America, formerly Sertoma) distribute refurbished hearing aids free or at low cost to low-income applicants; the Miracle-Ear Foundation gives new hearing aids to people at or below 200% of the federal poverty level ($31,920 for one person under the 2026 HHS guideline); and state vocational rehabilitation agencies fund hearing aids for working-age adults whose hearing loss affects their job. None of these are instant — expect an income-verification application and a multi-week wait — so if cost is your only barrier and speed matters, a lab-verified OTC pair can be the faster fix while your application processes.
Prescription hearing aids average about $3,000 out of pocket per the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), and most private insurance and Original Medicare pay nothing toward them — see our does insurance cover hearing aids and does Medicare cover hearing aids guides for the coverage gaps. Grant and assistance programs exist specifically to close that gap for people who can’t pay out of pocket. Here’s what’s real, who qualifies, and how to apply.
Hearing aid grants by the numbers
- $31,920 — the 2026 income limit for a single person at 200% of the federal poverty level, the eligibility threshold used by the Miracle-Ear Foundation, per the HHS poverty guidelines published January 2026.
- $15,960 — the 2026 federal poverty guideline for one person in the 48 contiguous states and D.C., the baseline most assistance-program income tests are built from, per HHS.
- ~$3,000 — the average out-of-pocket cost of a prescription hearing aid pair per PCAST, the gap grant programs are designed to close.
- Birth to age 20 — the eligibility window for the Hike Fund, one of the few programs dedicated specifically to low-income children’s hearing aids.
- Age 3 or younger — the cutoff for the AG Bell Financial Aid Grant, which covers only documented bilateral (both-ear) hearing loss, not one-sided loss.
Programs at a glance
| Program | Who it's for | What it covers | How to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lions Clubs International | Low-income individuals, criteria set by local club | Refurbished or subsidized hearing aids, varies by chapter | Contact your local Lions Club directly |
| Hearing Aid Project (Hearing Charities of America) | Low-income adults nationwide | Refurbished hearing aids, little or no cost | hearingaiddonations.org application |
| Miracle-Ear Foundation | Income at/below 200% federal poverty level | New hearing aids, fully covered for qualifying applicants | miracle-ear.com/miracle-ear-foundation |
| Starkey Hearing Foundation (Hear Now) | Low-income U.S. residents, no other resources | Hearing aids via partner providers; Starkey Cares route has a modest application fee | starkeyhearingfoundation.org or 800-328-8602 |
| State vocational rehabilitation | Working-age adults whose hearing loss affects employment | Hearing aids as part of an individualized employment plan | Find your state office via the Rehabilitation Services Administration directory |
| Hike Fund | Low-income children, birth to age 20 | Hearing aids for qualifying children | thehikefund.org |
| State Medicaid | Medicaid-enrolled children (all states); some states cover adults | Full or partial hearing aid coverage, varies by state | State Medicaid office; see our Medicaid coverage details in our does-insurance guide |
Lions Clubs International
Lions Clubs International is the widest, most locally distributed hearing-aid assistance network in the country, largely because it’s the same infrastructure that runs the club’s better-known eyeglasses recycling program. Individual Lions Clubs set their own eligibility rules and budgets, so what one chapter offers — a fully refurbished pair, a partial subsidy, or help navigating other programs — can differ meaningfully from the next chapter over. There’s no national online application; you contact your local Lions Club directly (search “[your city] Lions Club hearing aid” or use the club locator at lionsclubs.org) and ask about their hearing aid assistance process. Because Lions Clubs also run the recycling side of this pipeline, some of the refurbished pairs distributed through assistance programs originate from donated devices — see our hearing aid recycling and donation guide if you’re on the giving end instead of the receiving end.
Hearing Charities of America (the Hearing Aid Project) and the Hike Fund
The Hearing Aid Project, run by Hearing Charities of America (the organization formerly known as Sertoma), collects, refurbishes, and redistributes donated hearing aids to eligible low-income individuals nationwide through hearingaiddonations.org. Because it depends on donated inventory, available models and styles vary by what’s in stock when your application is processed — this is a fit for people who need functional amplification and can be flexible on brand, not people set on a specific current model.
For children specifically, the Hike Fund is one of the few programs built exclusively around pediatric hearing aids, serving low-income children from birth through age 20. It’s worth applying alongside your state’s Medicaid program (which covers hearing aids for enrolled children in every state, unlike the patchwork adult coverage) and any state early-intervention program for hearing loss diagnosed young.
Miracle-Ear Foundation
The Miracle-Ear Foundation is one of the more clearly defined programs on this list: it provides new hearing aids at no cost to applicants whose household income sits at or below 200% of the federal poverty level — $31,920 for a single person, or roughly $65,000 for a family of four, under the HHS guidelines published in January 2026. Unlike the Hearing Aid Project’s refurbished-inventory model, qualifying applicants receive new devices through participating Miracle-Ear locations. Apply through miracle-ear.com/miracle-ear-foundation; you’ll need income documentation and, in most cases, a hearing evaluation from a participating provider.
While your application processes: a lab-verified OTC pair
- Grant applications commonly take weeks to a few months from submission to a fitted device.
- The ELEHEAR Beyond Pro earned an "A" SoundGrade in independent HearAdvisor lab testing at roughly $599/pair — no application required.
- If a grant later covers your cost, an OTC pair bought in the meantime isn't wasted — see our [hearing aid trial period guide](/guides/hearing-aid-trial-period/) for return windows.
If you’d rather have options in hand within days while a grant application is pending, try Amazon Prime free for 30 days to get your hearing devices and accessories in two days.
Starkey Hearing Foundation (Hear Now) and Starkey Cares
The Starkey Hearing Foundation’s Hear Now program serves low-income U.S. residents who have no other resources to pay for hearing aids, working through partnering hearing care professionals. A related program, Starkey Cares, serves people with limited income but typically involves a modest application fee rather than being entirely free — confirm current terms directly at starkeyhearingfoundation.org or 800-328-8602, since program fees and criteria are reviewed periodically. Because Starkey works through a professional-provider network rather than mail-order refurbished units, expect a hearing evaluation as part of the process, similar to a standard clinic fitting.
State vocational rehabilitation (for working adults)
If hearing loss affects your ability to do your job, state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies are a route the charity programs above don’t cover: VR funds adaptive equipment, including hearing aids, as part of an individualized employment plan for eligible working-age adults. This isn’t means-tested the same way as the charity programs — the qualifying condition is that the hearing loss creates a barrier to employment, not a specific income ceiling — so it’s worth checking even if you don’t qualify for Lions Clubs or Miracle-Ear Foundation assistance. Find your state’s office through the Rehabilitation Services Administration directory; each state runs its own program with its own application and documentation requirements.
State Medicaid and local Area Agencies on Aging
Coverage rules vary sharply by state. Medicaid covers hearing aids for enrolled children nationwide, and a growing number of states now cover some adult hearing aid costs under Medicaid too — see the state-by-state breakdown in our does insurance cover hearing aids guide. Separately, local Area Agencies on Aging sometimes maintain small hearing-assistance funds or can point seniors toward regional programs not listed nationally — a quick call to your county’s AAA office costs nothing and can surface options specific to your area that a national search won’t.
What to have ready before you apply
Every program above asks for some combination of the same documents, so gathering them once saves you from redoing the process at each program:
- Proof of income — recent tax return, pay stubs, or benefits award letter, depending on the program.
- Proof of residency — utility bill or ID matching your application address.
- A recent hearing evaluation — some programs require one from a partnering provider; others accept a general audiogram.
- Photo ID for the applicant (or guardian, for a child applicant).
Applying to more than one program at once is generally fine — none of the ones above prohibit it — and it shortens your overall wait since approval timelines vary widely by chapter and caseload.
A medical caveat: grant and assistance programs are built around perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss, the same population OTC hearing aids serve. If your hearing loss is sudden, one-sided, or comes with pain, drainage, dizziness, or pulsing tinnitus, get a medical evaluation regardless of which payment route you’re pursuing — a grant-funded hearing aid doesn’t substitute for diagnosing an underlying condition that needs treatment.
Bottom line
Real financial help for hearing aids exists — Lions Clubs International and the Hearing Aid Project for flexible refurbished devices, the Miracle-Ear Foundation for a clear 200%-poverty-level income test, the Hike Fund and AG Bell grant for young children, and state vocational rehabilitation for working adults — but every route involves an application, documentation, and a wait of weeks to months, not days. If your hearing loss is mild-to-moderate and cost is the only barrier, it’s worth applying to one or two of these programs while also pricing a lab-verified OTC pair as a faster fallback; see our hearing aid financing guide for every other way to close the gap, including FSA/HSA dollars and true 0% APR plans.
Related guides
For more, see our hearing aid financing guide, does insurance cover hearing aids, does Medicare cover hearing aids, veterans hearing aid benefits, and hearing aid recycling and donation.