How much does a hearing test cost without insurance?

What a hearing test is

A hearing test measures how well you hear sounds of different pitches and loudness. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, or NIDCD, describes one common version called pure tone audiometry. It checks how loud each pitch must be before you can hear it. Audiometry is just the word for measuring hearing.

You should not treat this page as medical advice, because only a doctor or an audiologist can tell you which test fits your situation.

Who gives a hearing test

The NIDCD says an audiologist is trained to identify and measure hearing loss and to find where the problem is along the hearing pathway. An audiologist can also recommend or fit treatments such as hearing aids. An otolaryngologist, also called an ENT, is a doctor who treats diseases of the ear, nose and throat. The NIDCD says an ENT looks for the cause of hearing problems and often works with audiologists.

Your primary care doctor can check for other medical conditions that may play a part. The NIDCD says a primary care doctor can also send you to a specialist. Each of these visits may carry its own charge, so ask which visit you are booking.

What a hearing test costs without insurance

No government agency, research group or health system that we checked publishes a national cash price for a hearing test, so we do not print one. Prices quoted on websites usually give no source, and we left them out.

Several pieces move the bill up or down, and knowing them helps you compare offices.

• The kind of office changes the price, since a hospital clinic, a private audiology office and an ENT office can all charge differently.
• A basic hearing screening is smaller than a full hearing evaluation, and the full evaluation may include more tests.
• A visit with a doctor to look in your ears may be billed apart from the hearing test.
• A review of the results with a specialist may be included in the price or billed on its own.
• If a hospital runs the test, a facility fee may be added.
• Some offices charge more for a follow-up test, so ask what a repeat would cost.

Does Medicare or insurance matter for a hearing test?

If you are on Medicare, the rules are different from a cash price. Medicare.gov says Part B covers diagnostic hearing and balance exams when your doctor or another provider orders them. After the deductible, you pay 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount. The same page says Original Medicare does not cover hearing aids or the exams for fitting them.

These rules help people who have Medicare, but they do not set a price for someone paying without insurance. If you pay on your own, ask for the self-pay price. For the words to use on the phone, see our guide on asking for the cash price.

A hearing test before buying hearing aids

Hearing aids are a separate cost, and our guide on hearing aid costs without insurance covers prices and trial periods. The NIDCD says that over-the-counter hearing aids can be bought without visiting a hearing health professional for an exam. The agency adds that more complicated hearing loss may need prescription aids or other devices.

A hearing test can tell you what kind of loss you have and how large it is. That makes it easier to decide what to buy. It is worth asking whether the hearing test price is credited toward a hearing aid if you buy one. Some sellers do and some do not, so get the answer in writing.

Ways to pay less

Start with a primary care doctor you trust. A direct primary care doctor can look in your ears and tell you whether a hearing test is the next step. The doctor charges a flat membership fee, usually $50 to $200 a month. A membership is not insurance, so the hearing test is a separate cost. To find one, search for a cash-pay doctor near you.

Then call two or three audiology offices and put the same questions to each one. You want the self-pay price of the test, a list of what the visit includes and the price in writing. It also helps to find out whether the office gives a discount when you pay on the day.

A community health center adjusts fees by income and family size and serves everyone even if they cannot pay. We could not confirm that every center does hearing tests, so ask where they send patients.

The CDC is the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It says all babies should be screened for hearing loss by 1 month of age, and that screening is best done before the baby leaves the hospital. If a baby does not pass, the CDC says to get a full test from an audiologist. That test should happen as soon as possible, and no later than 3 months of age.

The CDC does not say whether screening is free, so ask the hospital or your child's doctor. At any age, if you think your child has trouble hearing, ask the doctor for a hearing screening. Our guide on community health centers can help you find a clinic that charges by income.

When a hearing change is an emergency

The NIDCD says sudden deafness is a medical emergency. Sudden deafness is an unexplained, rapid loss of hearing, either all at once or over a few days, and it often affects one ear. The NIDCD says to visit a doctor immediately, because waiting can make treatment work less well. It also says a doctor should do a pure tone audiometry test within a few days of the first symptoms.

Please do not wait to compare prices if this happens to you. If you have a severe injury, trouble breathing or any other emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Federal law requires an emergency room to examine you, with or without insurance.