Hearing should be checked regularly, and you can start with a free test at home. You can take a free online hearing assessment to gauge any hearing loss, then follow up with an in-person test with an audiologist if needed.
This is also a good time to think about hearing care costs. Original Medicare doesn’t cover hearing aids or routine hearing exams, but many Medicare Advantage plans include hearing benefits. Medicare open enrollment runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, so check what hearing coverage your plan offers for next year.
“Just like blood pressure, weight, and other health markers, hearing should be checked regularly, treated if necessary, and protected from damage,” said Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America, in a statement for the World Health Organization’s World Hearing Day, held every March 3.
Free Hearing Assessments from Retailers
Costco, Best Buy and other retailers that sell hearing aids offer free online hearing assessments. These tests can gauge the severity of your hearing loss, but can’t tell you what kind of hearing aid to get. But they are a good first step to take care of your hearing. Here are some of the free hearing assessment sites. All of them require you to have earphones or headphones attached to your device before you take the test.
Best Buy Hearing Assessment – Best Buy, which sells over-the-counter hearing aids, offers a free online hearing assessment, powered by hearX.
Costco Hearing Assessment – Costco, which has been carrying hearing aids for decades, also offers a free online hearing assessment. You don’t need to be a member to take the online assessment. Costco also offers free in-person hearing tests to members 18 and older at its Hearing Aid Centers. Costco sells hearing aids from brands including Philips, Phonak, ReSound, Rexton and Jabra, with prices starting around $1,500 a pair, according to HearingTracker. Read more about what Costco offers at Costco Hearing Center.
Hearing Test With AirPods Pro
If you have AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Pro 3 and an iPhone or iPad, you can take Apple’s built-in hearing test at no extra cost. You start it from your AirPods settings or the Health app, and it takes about five minutes in a quiet room. If the test shows mild to moderate hearing loss, you’ll be prompted to set up the AirPods’ Hearing Aid feature. Read more at Apple Hearing Health.
National Hearing Test from AARP
AARP members can take the National Hearing Test free once a year; for non-members it costs $8. You can take it by phone or online with headphones or earbuds.
The National Hearing Test was developed in concert with the National Institutes of Health. You listen to a series of three-digit numbers spoken in a background of white noise and enter the digits as best you can. The series gradually gets more difficult to understand. Once the test is done, you’ll get the hearing results for each ear.
The test does not give you what you need for a hearing aid, but does tell you if you need a hearing aid, or need to be tested by an audiologist.
To start, visit: National Hearing Test
The test was developed with funding from the National Institutes of Health and is provided on a nonprofit basis. The goal is to give you information that can help you decide whether you should seek a full-scale evaluation of your hearing.
Below is an introduction video from The National Hearing Test.
AARP Membership
AARP membership includes a free membership for a spouse or partner, a subscription to AARP The Magazine, and access to hundreds of discounts and benefits, including the free National Hearing Test. To see the current join offer, or just to read more, visit:
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