Bill > HB4944

This bill amends the Insurance Code of 1956 by adding a new section that requires health insurance policies in Michigan to provide coverage for hearing aids for children under 19 years old. The maximum required coverage is $3,000 per hearing aid every 36 months, and this amount will be adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index. Insurers may subject the coverage to cost-sharing provisions like deductibles and co-pays. The bill defines key terms like "audiologist" and "hearing aid," and specifies that a child must be evaluated by both an audiologist and an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat doctor) to be considered a "qualified enrollee" eligible for the coverage. The bill applies to health insurance policies delivered, executed, issued, amended, adjusted, or renewed in Michigan beginning January 1, 2026, and is tied to the passage of another bill, House Bill No. 4963.

Business and Industry, Health and Social Services

http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?2023-HB-4944