| Old | New | Differences | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | ||
| 2 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 3 | EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW. | |
| 4 | 4 | [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. | |
| 5 | - | Underlining indicates amendments to bill. | |
| 6 | - | Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by | |
| 7 | - | amendment. | |
| 8 | 5 | *hb1355* | |
| 9 | 6 | ||
| 10 | 7 | HOUSE BILL 1355 | |
| 11 | 8 | J5 5lr2935 | |
| 12 | 9 | CF SB 641 | |
| 13 | 10 | By: Delegates Reilly, Hartman, and Miller | |
| 14 | 11 | Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2025 | |
| 15 | 12 | Assigned to: Health and Government Operations | |
| 16 | - | Committee Report: Favorable | |
| 17 | - | House action: Adopted | |
| 18 | - | Read second time: March 6, 2025 | |
| 19 | 13 | ||
| 20 | - | ||
| 14 | + | A BILL ENTITLED | |
| 21 | 15 | ||
| 22 | 16 | AN ACT concerning 1 | |
| 23 | 17 | ||
| 24 | 18 | Health Insurance – Required Coverage – Hearing Aids 2 | |
| 25 | 19 | ||
| 26 | 20 | FOR the purpose of altering the circumstances under which certain insurers, nonprofit 3 | |
| 27 | 21 | health service plans, and health maintenance organizations are required to provide 4 | |
| 28 | 22 | coverage for medically appropriate and necessary hearing aids for adults to require 5 | |
| 29 | 23 | coverage if the hearing aid is ordered, fitted, and dispensed by a licensed hearing aid 6 | |
| 30 | 24 | dispenser; and generally relating to health insurance coverage for hearing aids. 7 | |
| 31 | 25 | ||
| 32 | 26 | BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8 | |
| 33 | 27 | Article – Insurance 9 | |
| 34 | 28 | Section 15–838.1 10 | |
| 35 | 29 | Annotated Code of Maryland 11 | |
| 36 | 30 | (2017 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12 | |
| 37 | 31 | ||
| 38 | 32 | SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13 | |
| 39 | 33 | That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14 | |
| 40 | 34 | ||
| 41 | 35 | Article – Insurance 15 | |
| 42 | 36 | ||
| 43 | 37 | 15–838.1. 16 | |
| 44 | 38 | ||
| 45 | 39 | (a) In this section, “hearing aid” means a device that: 17 | |
| 46 | 40 | ||
| 47 | 41 | (1) is of a design and circuitry to optimize audibility and listening skills in 18 | |
| 48 | - | the environment commonly experienced by adults; and 19 2 HOUSE BILL 1355 | |
| 42 | + | the environment commonly experienced by adults; and 19 | |
| 43 | + | ||
| 44 | + | (2) is nondisposable. 20 | |
| 45 | + | ||
| 46 | + | (b) This section applies to: 21 | |
| 47 | + | 2 HOUSE BILL 1355 | |
| 49 | 48 | ||
| 50 | 49 | ||
| 50 | + | (1) insurers and nonprofit health service plans that provide hospital, 1 | |
| 51 | + | medical, or surgical benefits to individuals or groups on an expense–incurred basis under 2 | |
| 52 | + | health insurance policies or contracts that are issued or delivered in the State; and 3 | |
| 51 | 53 | ||
| 52 | - | (2) is nondisposable. 1 | |
| 54 | + | (2) health maintenance organizations that provide hospital, medical, or 4 | |
| 55 | + | surgical benefits to individuals or groups under contracts that are issued or delivered in 5 | |
| 56 | + | the State. 6 | |
| 53 | 57 | ||
| 54 | - | (b) This section applies to: 2 | |
| 58 | + | (c) An entity subject to this section shall provide coverage for all medically 7 | |
| 59 | + | appropriate and necessary hearing aids for an adult who is covered under a policy or 8 | |
| 60 | + | contract if the hearing aids are: 9 | |
| 55 | 61 | ||
| 56 | - | (1) insurers and nonprofit health service plans that provide hospital, 3 | |
| 57 | - | medical, or surgical benefits to individuals or groups on an expense–incurred basis under 4 | |
| 58 | - | health insurance policies or contracts that are issued or delivered in the State; and 5 | |
| 62 | + | (1) prescribed, fitted, and dispensed by a licensed audiologist; OR 10 | |
| 59 | 63 | ||
| 60 | - | (2) health maintenance organizations that provide hospital, medical, or 6 | |
| 61 | - | surgical benefits to individuals or groups under contracts that are issued or delivered in 7 | |
| 62 | - | the State. 8 | |
| 64 | + | (2) ORDERED, FITTED, AND DISPENSED BY A LICENSED HEARING A ID 11 | |
| 65 | + | DISPENSER. 12 | |
| 63 | 66 | ||
| 64 | - | ( | |
| 65 | - | ||
| 66 | - | ||
| 67 | + | (d) (1) An entity subject to this section may limit the benefit payable under 13 | |
| 68 | + | subsection (c) of this section to $1,400 per hearing aid for each hearing–impaired ear every 14 | |
| 69 | + | 36 months. 15 | |
| 67 | 70 | ||
| 68 | - | (1) prescribed, fitted, and dispensed by a licensed audiologist; OR 12 | |
| 71 | + | (2) An insured or enrollee may choose a hearing aid that is priced higher 16 | |
| 72 | + | than the benefit payable under this subsection and may pay the difference between the 17 | |
| 73 | + | price of the hearing aid and the benefit payable under this subsection, without financial or 18 | |
| 74 | + | contractual penalty to the provider of the hearing aid. 19 | |
| 69 | 75 | ||
| 70 | - | (2) ORDERED, FITTED, AND DISPENSED BY A LICENSED HEARING A ID 13 | |
| 71 | - | DISPENSER. 14 | |
| 76 | + | (e) This section does not prohibit an entity subject to this section from providing 20 | |
| 77 | + | coverage that is greater or more favorable to an insured or enrollee than the coverage 21 | |
| 78 | + | required under this section. 22 | |
| 72 | 79 | ||
| 73 | - | | |
| 74 | - | ||
| 75 | - | ||
| 80 | + | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall apply to all 23 | |
| 81 | + | policies, contracts, and health benefit plans issued, delivered, or renewed in the State on or 24 | |
| 82 | + | after January 1, 2026. 25 | |
| 76 | 83 | ||
| 77 | - | (2) An insured or enrollee may choose a hearing aid that is priced higher 18 | |
| 78 | - | than the benefit payable under this subsection and may pay the difference between the 19 | |
| 79 | - | price of the hearing aid and the benefit payable under this subsection, without financial or 20 | |
| 80 | - | contractual penalty to the provider of the hearing aid. 21 | |
| 81 | - | ||
| 82 | - | (e) This section does not prohibit an entity subject to this section from providing 22 | |
| 83 | - | coverage that is greater or more favorable to an insured or enrollee than the coverage 23 | |
| 84 | - | required under this section. 24 | |
| 85 | - | ||
| 86 | - | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall apply to all 25 | |
| 87 | - | policies, contracts, and health benefit plans issued, delivered, or renewed in the State on or 26 | |
| 88 | - | after January 1, 2026. 27 | |
| 89 | - | ||
| 90 | - | SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 28 | |
| 91 | - | January 1, 2026. 29 | |
| 84 | + | SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 26 | |
| 85 | + | January 1, 2026. 27 | |
| 92 | 86 |