Requires all health insurance policies to provide insurance coverage for the cost of hearing aids; provides that such coverage shall include coverage of at least $1,000 over a three year period; provides that children under the age of sixteen are allowed reimbursement for expenses related to the purchase of up to two hearing aids.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
529--A
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE(Prefiled)
January 7, 2009
___________
Introduced by Sen. ALESI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed 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 providing coverage for
hearing aids
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 26 to read as follows:
3 (26) (A) Every health insurance policy issued or delivered in this
4 state shall provide coverage for hearing aids purchased from New York
5 state hearing aid dispensers registered under article thirty-seven-A of
6 the general business law or audiologists licensed under article one
7 hundred fifty-nine of the education law in the following manner:
8 (i) for an insured person who is sixteen years of age or older, such
9 insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement of up to one thousand
10 dollars every three years for expenses related to the purchase of up to
11 two hearing aids.
12 (ii) for an insured person who is less than sixteen years of age, such
13 insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement of up to one thousand
14 dollars every two years for expenses related to the purchase of up to
15 two hearing aids. When it is demonstrated that (1) the insured child's
16 hearing has changed significantly within a two year period and (2) the
17 existing hearing aid will no longer correct the child's hearing loss,
18 such insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement for additional
19 hearing aid expenses.
20 (iii) for the purposes of this paragraph, the insured person shall be
21 entitled to spend more than one thousand dollars on hearing aid
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01755-03-9
S. 529--A 2
1 expenses, but shall only be allowed reimbursement up to the amount
2 provided in clause (i) or (ii) of this subparagraph.
3 (B)(i) For the purposes of this paragraph "hearing aid" shall mean any
4 wearable instrument or devices designed for hearing and any parts,
5 attachments or accessories but excluding batteries and cords or accesso-
6 ries thereto.
7 (ii) For the purposes of this section, services for recasing, reshell-
8 ing and acquiring new molds shall be included as part of the policies.
9 (C) Coverage provided pursuant to this paragraph shall not be subject
10 to deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments.
11 § 2. Section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new
12 subsection (r) to read as follows:
13 (r) (1) Every group health insurance policy issued or delivered in
14 this state shall provide coverage for hearing aids purchased from New
15 York state hearing aid dispensers registered under article thirty-sev-
16 en-A of the general business law or audiologists licensed under article
17 one hundred fifty-nine of the education law in the following manner:
18 (A) for an insured person who is sixteen years of age or older, such
19 insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement of up to one thousand
20 dollars every three years for expenses related to the purchase of up to
21 two hearing aids.
22 (B) for an insured person who is less than sixteen years of age, such
23 insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement of up to one thousand
24 dollars every two years for expenses related to the purchase of up to
25 two hearing aids. When it is demonstrated that (i) the insured child's
26 hearing has changed significantly within a two year period and (ii) the
27 existing hearing aid will no longer correct the child's hearing loss,
28 such insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement for additional
29 hearing aid expenses.
30 (C) for the purposes of this subsection, the insured person shall be
31 entitled to spend more than one thousand dollars on hearing aid
32 expenses, but shall only be allowed reimbursement up to the amount
33 provided in subparagraph (A) or (B) of this paragraph.
34 (2)(A) For the purposes of this subsection, "hearing aid" shall mean
35 any wearable instrument or devices designed for hearing and any parts,
36 attachments or accessories but excluding batteries and cords or accesso-
37 ries thereto.
38 (B) For the purposes of this section, services for recasing, reshell-
39 ing and acquiring new molds shall be included as part of the policies.
40 (3) Coverage provided pursuant to this subsection shall not be subject
41 to deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments.
42 § 3. Section 4303 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new
43 subsection (ff) to read as follows:
44 (ff) (1) Every contract issued or delivered in this state by a health
45 service corporation or hospital service corporation shall provide cover-
46 age for hearing aids purchased from New York state hearing aid dispen-
47 sers registered under article thirty-seven-A of the general business law
48 or audiologists licensed under article one hundred fifty-nine of the
49 education law in the following manner:
50 (A) for an insured person who is sixteen years of age or older, such
51 insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement of up to one thousand
52 dollars every three years for expenses related to the purchase of up to
53 two hearing aids.
54 (B) for an insured person who is less than sixteen years of age, such
55 insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement of up to one thousand
56 dollars every two years for expenses related to the purchase of up to
S. 529--A 3
1 two hearing aids. When it is demonstrated that (i) the insured child's
2 hearing has changed significantly within a two year period and (ii) the
3 existing hearing aid will no longer correct the child's hearing loss,
4 such insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement for additional
5 hearing aid expenses.
6 (C) for the purposes of this subsection, the insured person shall be
7 entitled to spend more than one thousand dollars on hearing aid
8 expenses, but shall only be allowed reimbursement up to the amount
9 provided in subparagraph (A) or (B) of this paragraph.
10 (2)(A) For the purposes of this subsection, "hearing aid" shall mean
11 any wearable instrument or devices designed for hearing and any parts,
12 attachments or accessories but excluding batteries and cords or accesso-
13 ries thereto.
14 (B) For the purposes of this section, services for recasing, reshell-
15 ing and acquiring new molds shall be included as part of the policies.
16 (3) Coverage provided pursuant to this subsection shall not be subject
17 to deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments.
18 § 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011 and shall apply to all
19 policies issued, modified or renewed on and after such date.
