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Hearing Aid Assistance for Children in Minnesota

Some families cannot afford to buy a hearing aid for a child. Hearing aid assistance is available for eligible children through the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Department of Human Services. There are also nonprofit organizations that provide help in paying for a child's hearing aid. The nonprofits provide applications for assistance on their websites.

  1. MinnesotaCare Plan

    • The MinnesotaCare program is a health care plan offered through the Minnesota Department of Human Services. The plan is for pregnant women and children under the age of 21. Hearing aids are covered in this program. Some services must be proven necessary and be approved before you can get them. There are no coverage limits or co-pays in the plan. For information on this health care program, call 800-657-3672, or 651-297-3862 in the Twin Cities area. The Telecommunications Relay Service number is 800-627-3529.

    Help Me Grow Program

    • The Minnesota Early Intervention program called Help Me Grow: Infant and Toddler helps deaf or hard-of-hearing children under 3 years of age. To be eligible for the program, a child must be dealing with developmental or learning challenges. This program offers audiology technology assistance, at no cost, based on the needs of the family and the child. Any related services that are needed, such as speech therapy, are included. To learn more about the plan's eligibility criteria, call the Minnesota Department of Health program coordinator at 651-201-3641.

    The Starkey Hearing Foundation

    • Every year the Starkey Hearing Foundation, based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, provides more than 50,000 hearing aids worldwide to those who cannot afford to purchase an assistive device. The organization's Hearing Now Program provides hearing aids to people in the United States who are hard of hearing or deaf. The group considers the monetary resources of the family when determining eligibility for assistance. Applicants must have no other source of monetary assistance. In 2011, the organization required a $125 nonrefundable processing fee for each hearing aid requested. Applicants are encouraged to call 1-800-328-8602 to discuss their eligibility.

    The HIKE Fund

    • The Hearing Impaired Kids Endowment Fund provides hearing aids to about 100 children a year. The organization serves newborns to 20 year olds. An application for assistance must provide proof that a hearing aid device has been prescribed, either by a physician or an audiologist. Families must also show a financial need. Recipients of hearing aids can reapply for another device after four years. There is no limit to the number of hearing aid devices awarded to a family. There is usually a six-month waiting list for applicants.

    Audient

    • Audient is a nonprofit alliance group for hearing care. The organization helps applicants find a hearing aid at a reduced price from a group of participating providers. In 2011, the cost of one hearing aid and related care ranged from $760 to $1,400. Applicants qualify based on their annual family income. The nationwide Audient program helps children as well as adults. When evaluating an applicant's qualifications, the organization takes into account pensions, annuities and salaries, as well as income from Social Security.

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