Bill Text: NY A00149 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Provides for coverage of hearing aids for child patients who are covered under a policy or contract of insurance if the hearing aids are fitted and dispensed by a licensed audiologist certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association following medical clearance by a physician licensed to practice medicine and an audiological evaluation medically appropriate to the age of the child.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 23-4)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to insurance [A00149 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-A00149-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 149--A 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled) January 4, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES, SAYEGH, EPSTEIN, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, MAMDA- NI, RA, DeSTEFANO, DICKENS, STERN, COLTON, THIELE, SILLITTI, HUNTER, FORREST, STECK, AUBRY, JACOBSON, MEEKS, LAVINE, HEVESI, McDONOUGH, K. BROWN, SHRESTHA, RAGA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Insurance -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to the mandatory coverage of hearing aids by insurers and other organizations The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subsection (i) of section 3216 of the insurance law is 2 amended by adding a new paragraph 39 to read as follows: 3 (39) (A) As used in this paragraph, "hearing aid" shall mean a medi- 4 cally-prescribed, non-disposable device that is of a design and circui- 5 try to optimize audition and listening skills in the environment common- 6 ly experienced by children. 7 (B) Every policy which provides hospital, medical or surgical coverage 8 shall provide coverage for hearing aids if such hearing aids are fitted 9 and dispensed by a licensed audiologist certified by the American 10 Speech-Language-Hearing Association, following medical clearance by a 11 physician licensed to practice medicine, and an audiological evaluation 12 medically appropriate to the age of the child, provided an entity 13 subject to this paragraph may limit the benefit payable under this para- 14 graph to four thousand dollars per hearing aid for each hearing-impaired 15 ear every twenty-four months. 16 (C) This paragraph does not prohibit an entity subject to the 17 provisions of this paragraph from providing coverage that is greater or 18 more favorable to an insured or enrolled individual. 19 § 2. Section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new 20 subsection (u) to read as follows: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD01745-04-3A. 149--A 2 1 (u) (1) As used in this subsection, "hearing aid" shall mean a medi- 2 cally-prescribed, non-disposable device that is of a design and circui- 3 try to optimize audition and listening skills in the environment common- 4 ly experienced by children. 5 (2) Every policy which provides hospital, medical or surgical coverage 6 shall provide coverage for hearing aids if such hearing aids are fitted 7 and dispensed by a licensed audiologist certified by the American 8 Speech-Language-Hearing Association, following medical clearance by a 9 physician licensed to practice medicine, and an audiological evaluation 10 medically appropriate to the age of the child, provided an entity 11 subject to this subsection may limit the benefit payable under this 12 subsection to four thousand dollars per hearing aid for each hearing-im- 13 paired ear every twenty-four months. 14 (3) This subsection does not prohibit an entity subject to the 15 provisions of this subsection from providing coverage that is greater or 16 more favorable to an insured or enrolled individual. 17 § 3. Section 4303 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new 18 subsection (uu) to read as follows: 19 (uu)(1) As used in this subsection, "hearing aid" shall mean a medi- 20 cally-prescribed, non-disposable device that is of a design and circui- 21 try to optimize audition and listening skills in the environment common- 22 ly experienced by children. 23 (2) Every policy which provides hospital, medical or surgical coverage 24 shall provide coverage for hearing aids if such hearing aids are fitted 25 and dispensed by a licensed audiologist certified by the American 26 Speech-Language-Hearing Association, following medical clearance by a 27 physician licensed to practice medicine, and an audiological evaluation 28 medically appropriate to the age of the child, provided an entity 29 subject to this subsection may limit the benefit payable under this 30 subsection to four thousand dollars per hearing aid for each hearing-im- 31 paired ear every twenty-four months. 32 (3) This subsection does not prohibit an entity subject to the 33 provisions of this subsection from providing coverage that is greater or 34 more favorable to an insured or enrolled individual. 35 § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 36 ing the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to all 37 policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered, or amended on 38 or after such date. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment 39 and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation 40 of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 41 completed on or before such date.
