Bill > S05789

This bill requires health insurance policies in New York to provide coverage for medically necessary hearing aids for children under 18 years old. The coverage applies to hearing aids purchased from registered hearing aid dispensers or licensed audiologists, and is limited to one hearing aid per impaired ear every 24 months, unless the child's hearing has significantly changed or the existing hearing aid no longer corrects their hearing loss. A "hearing aid" is defined as any wearable hearing device and its parts, excluding batteries and cords, with the specific type of device to be determined by a professional. The bill applies to individual health insurance policies, group health insurance policies, and contracts from health service or hospital service corporations. The coverage can be subject to standard insurance cost-sharing mechanisms like deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. Additionally, the bill includes services such as recasing, reshelling, and acquiring new molds as part of the covered hearing aid benefits. The law will take effect on the first day of January following its enactment and will apply to all policies issued, modified, or renewed after that date.

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https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S5789