Bill > H942

This bill mandates that health benefit plans provide coverage for hearing aids and related services for individuals with profound hearing loss. A "hearing aid" is defined as a wearable device, excluding surgical implants and batteries, designed to assist with hearing impairment, with this definition taking precedence over other existing laws. "Profound hearing loss" is specifically defined as a pure tone average of 91 decibels or greater at 500Hz, 1000 Hz, and 2000 Hz. "Related services" encompass all necessary assessments, selections, and adjustments to ensure the hearing aid functions optimally. The bill requires health plans to cover 80 percent of the cost of one hearing aid and its related services per hearing-impaired ear every 24 months for individuals with bilateral profound hearing loss, provided the aid is prescribed and dispensed by a qualified audiologist or hearing instrument specialist. Importantly, health plans are not obligated to pay for a hearing aid if the insured has already filed a claim for one within the preceding two years that was paid by any health benefit plan.