Hearing Aid Coverage

We will pay for one hearing aid claim ever 36 consecutive months. This applies whether one or two hearing aids were ordered on that claim.

You will be reimbursed for 90 percent of the lesser of the following: the provider charge; the dealer acquisition cost plus the State maximum dispensing fee schedule amount; or the approved amount as determined by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Exams and tests are not covered.

Important Information about Hearing Aid Claim Reimbursement.

The Dealer Acquisition Cost is the amount it cost the provider to obtain the hearing aid(s). Providers consider the dealer acquisition cost to be proprietary, and some providers are unwilling to disclose this amount to the ORS.

To ensure that you receive maximum reimbursement, you must verify before purchase that the provider will disclose the dealer acquisition cost to ORS.

If the dealer acquisition cost is not provided to ORS, reimbursement will be 90 percent of the lesser of the provider charge, the State maximum dispensing fee schedule amount, the approved amount as determined by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. This will most likely result in a reimbursement that is substantially less than if the hearing aid were to be purchased from a provider willing to provide the dealer acquisition cost to ORS.

Requesting hearing aid reimbursement.

If you are enrolled in the plan health insurance, BCBSM or your Health Maintenance Organization will process your hearing aid claims. Please follow your carrier's procedure for hearing aid reimbursement.

If you have chosen not to enroll in the plan health insurance, ORS will process your hearing aid claim. Follow these instructions to request reimbursement from ORS:

1. Ask your provider to provide the following information, preferably on a Blue Cross/Blue Shield Hearing Aid Claim form. Your provider can send the information to us directly, or you can mail the information in along with the claim/bill.

• Name and address of the provider
• Dealer federal tax identification number
• Total charge 
• Dealer acquisition cost
• Description of hearing aid(s), including device number
• Date of service (dispensing date)
• Name of person for whom the hearing aid(s) was prescribed
• His/her date of birth
• Relationship of the person to the pension recipient
• Social security number of the pension recipient

2. Mail the claim/bill to: 

Office of Retirement Services
ATTN: Hearing Aid Department
P. O. Box 30171
Lansing, MI 48909-7671