Bill > H262

This bill aims to improve access to hearing aids by modifying existing laws. It prohibits physicians from selling hearing aids or having financial interests in businesses that sell them to patients they've recently treated, with exceptions for otolaryngologists (ear, nose, and throat doctors) and non-profit organizations, clinics, hospitals, or healthcare facilities that use licensed audiologists or hearing instrument specialists to dispense them. Audiologists and otolaryngologists who sell hearing aids must disclose service fees and sale terms, including a written estimate of the total cost and the patient's right to buy elsewhere. The bill also prevents offering money or anything of value to physicians, otolaryngologists, or audiologists as an incentive to recommend hearing aid purchases, though suggesting specific models is still allowed. Additionally, it clarifies that only licensed hearing instrument specialists or audiologists can practice hearing aid dispensing, with exemptions for those who only repair or manufacture hearing aids or sell assisted listening devices, and it confirms that audiologists or hearing instrument specialists can dispense hearing aids when employed by or affiliated with an otolaryngologist.