Bill Text: CT SB00279 | 2014 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: An Act Expanding Health Insurance Coverage For Hearing Aids.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-28 - Public Hearing 03/04 [SB00279 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2014-SB00279-Introduced.html

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General Assembly		Raised Bill No. 279
February Session, 2014		LCO No. 1251
		*01251_______INS*
Referred to Committee on INSURANCE AND REAL ESTATE
Introduced by:
(INS)

AN ACT EXPANDING HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR HEARING AIDS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 38a-490b of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2015):

(a) Each individual health insurance policy providing coverage of the type specified in subdivisions (1), (2), (4), (11) and (12) of section 38a-469 delivered, issued for delivery, renewed, amended or continued in this state shall provide coverage for hearing aids for [children twelve years of age or younger] individuals.

(b) The Insurance Commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to select a hearing loss standard and establish a graduated scale for deductibles for hearing aids that correspond to the level of hearing loss.

(c) Such hearing aids shall be considered durable medical equipment under the policy and the policy may limit the hearing aid benefit to one thousand dollars within a twenty-four-month period.

Sec. 2. Section 38a-516b of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2015):

(a) Each group health insurance policy providing coverage of the type specified in subdivisions (1), (2), (4), (11) and (12) of section 38a-469 delivered, issued for delivery, renewed, amended or continued in this state shall provide coverage for hearing aids for [children twelve years of age or younger] individuals.

(b) The Insurance Commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to select a hearing loss standard and establish a graduated scale for deductibles for hearing aids that correspond to the level of hearing loss.

(c) Such hearing aids shall be considered durable medical equipment under the policy and the policy may limit the hearing aid benefit to one thousand dollars within a twenty-four-month period.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	January 1, 2015	38a-490b
Sec. 2	January 1, 2015	38a-516b

Statement of Purpose:

To expand health insurance coverage for hearing aids.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]