HATTIESBURG—When aspiring musician Emma Walker suddenly lost hearing in her left ear, she faced two options: undergo surgery for a cochlear implant that insurance would cover or a hearing aid that it wouldn’t.
That choice—surgery or paying thousands out of pocket—highlights a gap in Mississippi law that leaves many residents without coverage for hearing aids. The state is one of 15 that do not require private insurers to pay for the devices, and advocates say the financial burden is keeping some people from getting the help they need.
Lawmakers attempted to change that in 2022 with Senate Bill 2339, which would have required insurers to cover hearing aids for people under 21. The bill died in committee before reaching a full vote.
As the 2026 legislative session approaches, audiologists are urging legislators to revisit the proposal, saying the lack of coverage affects thousands of Mississippians each year.
Who’s Covered—and Who’s Not
Hearing loss is more common than many realize, said Dr. Ashley Grillis, a pediatric audiologist at The University of Mississippi Medical Center.
“Hearing loss is actually one of the most common congenital birth abnormalities that can happen. It’s about one to three in every thousand births that will see hearing loss,” she said. “The incidence of hearing loss actually increases as you move into school-age children.”
On the federal level, Medicaid covers hearing aids, paying $1,600 per device annually, plus $18.15 per ear mold and $80 for a professional fitting. Mississippi’s state employee insurance plan also provides coverage for people under 21, but that protection doesn’t extend to the general public.
According to the Mississippi Speech-Language-Hearing Association, most private insurance plans in the state do not offer coverage.
The Cost
The National Council on Aging reports hearing aids can cost anywhere from $100 to $7,000 per pair, with prescription models averaging about $3,300.
For Walker, who studies music at The University of Southern Mississippi, the diagnosis struck deeper than most. She said her device cost between $2,500 and $3,000—a price she had to weigh alongside tuition and rent.
“It was really hard because I’m also paying for school, and I’m paying for rent,” she said. “Hearing that I had to pay for a $3,000 hearing aid was very jarring.”
Walker received her hearing aid in June with financial help from her family, support she said eased the financial strain of the purchase.
“I’m lucky enough that I was able to only receive one hearing aid,” she said. “A lot of people my age and younger, and also older, have to receive two hearing aids because they have major hearing loss.”
Beyond the device itself, patients like Walker also have pay for ear molds and a fitting session, which can cost about $80 per ear.
Grillis said the lack of mandated coverage means some families can’t afford devices for their children.
“There are certainly children who are not amplified, unfortunately, because the cost is prohibitive,” she said.
The Broader Impact
Grillis said untreated hearing loss in children can lead to speech and language delays, academic struggles and a greater need for special education services—costs that ultimately fall to the state.
“That actually becomes more of a financial burden for our state,” she said. “We’re going to have to be putting more resources into the schools to help these children. Whereas if we can identify them and fit them with amplification early, our goal is to not have that delay.”
Data from Mississippi Speech-Language-Hearing Association estimated that adding hearing aid coverage would cost private insurers about $32,000 annually statewide—a small figure, advocates say, compared to the potential long-term savings.
That estimate was based on state birth data, hearing aid usage at university clinics and the current Medicaid reimbursement rate of $1,600 per device. The projection assumes about 10 children per year would qualify, with each needing two hearing aids.
For Walker, the emotional impact of her hearing loss went beyond finances.
“Being told you have a disability such as hearing loss is already very emotional and a lot to take in,” she said. “It really did freak me out, having to rely on a device to live normal, everyday life.”
Her hearing aid—equipped with Bluetooth and AI-assisted sound adjustment—has made it easier to keep up in class and social settings.
“Having that thought run through my mind ‘What if I lose hearing in the other ear too?’ Was very, very detrimental to my mental health,” she said. “As soon as I got this hearing aid, all those problems eased away.”
A Call for Change
Walker said hearing aids should be treated the same as cochlear implants when it comes to insurance coverage.
“If insurance covers cochlear implants because they help your hearing, I think it should be the same for hearing aids,” she said. “Having this hearing aid has truly changed my life for the better.”
Grillis said constituent support could drive change.
“Mississippi can do this,” she said. “It’s going to come down to constituents—families with children with hearing loss that are being directly impacted by this—to really reach out to their legislators and let them know what a big issue it is.”
This article first appeared on RHCJC and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
