VA Hearing Aids, Eyeglasses, Prosthetics and Service Dogs
VA's Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service handles hearing aids, eyeglasses, prosthetic devices and the service dog benefit, each under its own rule. Here is what each rule says, plus the women's health services VA describes.
Hearing aids, eyeglasses, artificial limbs, wheelchairs and the service dog benefit all run through one office at a VA medical center: the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service (PSAS). VA says a "prosthetic device" is any device that supports or replaces a body part or function. Each item has its own rule, though. Here is what each one says, plus the women's health services VA describes.
The rules at a glance
| Item | The rule | Who qualifies, in short |
|---|---|---|
| Hearing aids and eyeglasses | 38 CFR 17.149 | Veterans receiving VA care who fit one of eight listed groups |
| Prosthetic and rehabilitative items | 38 CFR 17.3220 and 17.3230 | Enrolled veterans receiving VA care, when the item is clinically needed |
| Service dog benefits | 38 CFR 17.148 | Enrolled veterans with a visual, hearing or substantial mobility impairment, when the VA clinical team prescribes a dog |
| Women's health care | 38 CFR 17.38 | Part of the medical benefits package for veterans in VA health care |
All four start with enrollment in VA health care, using VA Form 10-10EZ. Our priority groups guide covers how that works.
Hearing aids and eyeglasses: 38 CFR 17.149
The regulation calls eyeglasses, contact lenses and hearing aids sensori-neural aids. VA furnishes them only to veterans otherwise receiving VA care, and only as the section provides. Paragraph (b) lists these groups:
| 17.149(b) | Who VA furnishes the aids to |
|---|---|
| (1) | Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability |
| (2) | Former prisoners of war |
| (3) | Veterans awarded a Purple Heart |
| (4) | Veterans receiving benefits under 38 U.S.C. 1151 |
| (5) | Veterans receiving increased pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance or on being permanently housebound |
| (6) | Veterans whose visual or hearing impairment resulted from another medical condition VA is treating them for, or from its treatment |
| (7) | Veterans with a significant functional or cognitive impairment shown by deficiencies in activities of daily living, not including normally occurring visual or hearing impairments |
| (8) | Veterans whose vision or hearing is so impaired that the aids are necessary for them to take an active part in their own medical treatment |
The first group means any compensable service-connected disability, not only an eye or ear condition, and several of the other groups do not depend on service connection at all.
One more rule applies to hearing. Under 17.149(c), a veteran whose service-connected hearing loss is rated 0 percent can still receive hearing aids if there is organic conductive, mixed or sensory hearing impairment and a loss of hearing sensitivity that contributes to a loss of communication ability. Those aids are provided only as needed for the service-connected hearing disability. Our hearing loss rating guide explains how that rating is set.
In practice
VA's hearing aid page says a registered veteran can schedule an evaluation at the Audiology and Speech Pathology Clinic, where the audiologist decides whether hearing aids are needed. If they are recommended and fitted, VA says the hearing aids, repairs and future batteries are at no charge, as long as the veteran keeps VA eligibility for care.
For vision, VA's vision care page says veterans with VA health care benefits are covered for routine eye exams and preventive vision testing, such as glaucoma testing. The eyeglasses themselves follow 17.149: VA says it covers their cost when a veteran meets at least one of the listed requirements, and its examples include vision problems caused by a stroke, diabetes, cataract surgery or a traumatic brain injury that VA is treating. VA suggests asking the prosthetic representative at the nearest VA medical center.
Prosthetic and rehabilitative items
Most other devices fall under 38 CFR 17.3200 through 17.3250. Under 17.3220, a veteran is eligible when enrolled in VA health care (or exempt from enrollment) and otherwise receiving VA care, and a prescription from a VA provider or a community care provider counts as receiving care. The rule is not limited to service-connected conditions.
| Category in 17.3230 | Examples in the 17.3210 definitions |
|---|---|
| Prosthetic devices | Artificial limbs and artificial eyes |
| Orthotic devices | Leg braces, upper extremity splints and braces |
| Mobility aids | Manual and motorized wheelchairs, canes, walkers |
| Home medical equipment | Hospital beds, portable patient lifts, portable ramps, ventilators |
| Home respiratory equipment | Compressed oxygen, oxygen concentrators, CPAP machines |
| Adaptive household items | Adaptive eating utensils, shower stools or chairs |
| Communication and cognitive devices | Symbol boards, an electrolarynx, tablets or GPS tools |
The list also includes implants, home exercise equipment and adaptive recreation equipment. VA provides an item when it determines the item is needed, is a direct and active part of the veteran's treatment and rehabilitation, and does not solely support comfort or convenience. Repairs, replacements of lost, stolen or damaged items, and training and fitting are covered too. Unless VA lends an item, it becomes the veteran's property once the veteran takes possession of it.
The clothing allowance, automobile adaptive equipment and home improvements have their own rules; see our guides to the clothing allowance and automobile and adaptive equipment.
Service and guide dogs: 38 CFR 17.148
VA does not provide the dog. VA's service dog page says so directly, and says approved veterans are referred to organizations accredited by Assistance Dogs International or the International Guide Dog Federation. What VA provides is a set of benefits that support the dog.
Under 17.148(b), the veteran must be diagnosed with a visual, hearing or substantial mobility impairment, and the VA clinical team treating it must find that a trained service dog is the optimal way to manage the impairment and live independently. If other means, such as technological devices or rehabilitative therapy, would give the same independence, VA will not authorize the benefits. The regulation sets no disability rating threshold. VA's page also describes a mental health mobility path, where a VA mental health team assesses whether a mental health condition is the primary cause of the veteran's substantial mobility limitations. The dog and veteran must complete an accredited training program, and the veteran gives VA the certificate.
| Benefit | What 17.148(d) says |
|---|---|
| Veterinary insurance | A commercial policy billed to VA, covering medically necessary treatment and prescriptions; the veteran pays costs above the policy's limits |
| Hardware | Equipment the dog clinically needs for its tasks, plus repairs and replacements, requested through PSAS |
| Travel | Travel expenses for obtaining the dog, or a replacement dog, once a VA clinical team has prescribed one |
| Not covered | Items such as license tags, nonprescription food, grooming, boarding and over-the-counter medications |
The benefits cover one dog at a time, and the dog is not VA property. If the dog can no longer work, or VA finds the veteran no longer needs it, VA gives at least 30 days' notice before the benefits stop.
Women's health care
38 CFR 17.38 includes pregnancy and delivery services, to the extent authorized by law, in the medical benefits package, along with newborn care on the date of birth plus seven calendar days when the mother is an enrolled woman veteran receiving maternity care furnished or authorized by VA, and the child is delivered in a VA facility or in another facility under a VA authorization for maternity care at VA expense.
VA's women's health page lists primary care, reproductive health services such as birth control and menopause support, cervical and breast cancer screening, mental health care, care related to military sexual trauma, maternity care, and prosthetic and sensory aid services such as post-mastectomy items. VA's maternity page says each facility has Maternity Care Coordinators and that VA benefits may not cover every service, such as home deliveries or doulas. Under 38 CFR 17.380, in vitro fertilization may be provided when clinically appropriate to a veteran whose service-connected disability results in the inability to procreate without fertility treatment.
VA suggests starting with a primary care provider or the Women Veterans Program Manager at the local VA medical center. The Women Veterans Call Center takes calls and texts at 855-829-6636.
The bottom line
Enrollment comes first for all of these. After that, prosthetic items turn on clinical need, hearing aids and eyeglasses on the eight groups in 38 CFR 17.149, and the service dog benefit on a qualifying impairment and a VA clinical team's prescription, with no rating threshold. VA does not supply the dog; it supports it with insurance, hardware and travel. The first conversation is usually with a VA provider, who can refer the veteran to audiology, eye care or PSAS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does VA give hearing aids to veterans without a service-connected disability?
It can. 38 CFR 17.149 lists eight groups of veterans who receive hearing aids, and several do not depend on service connection, such as former prisoners of war, Purple Heart recipients, and veterans whose hearing loss comes from a condition VA is treating. The veteran must also be receiving VA care, and an audiologist decides whether hearing aids are needed.
Does VA pay for eyeglasses?
VA covers routine eye exams for veterans with VA health care. It covers the cost of eyeglasses when the veteran meets one of the requirements in 38 CFR 17.149, such as a compensable service-connected disability, former prisoner of war status, a Purple Heart, or a vision problem caused by a condition VA is treating.
Does VA provide service dogs?
No. VA's service dog page says VA does not provide the dogs; approved veterans are referred to organizations accredited by Assistance Dogs International or the International Guide Dog Federation. Under 38 CFR 17.148, VA then provides veterinary insurance, needed hardware and travel expenses for obtaining the dog.
Do I need a disability rating for a VA service dog benefit?
38 CFR 17.148 sets no rating threshold. It requires enrollment in VA health care, a diagnosed visual, hearing or substantial mobility impairment, and a finding by the VA clinical team treating that impairment that a trained service dog is the optimal way to manage it.
Are prosthetic devices only for service-connected conditions?
No. Under 38 CFR 17.3220, an enrolled veteran who is receiving VA care is eligible for the items listed in 17.3230 when VA determines they are needed for treatment and rehabilitation. A prescription from a VA provider or a community care provider counts as receiving care.