STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 535 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 9, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL, FORREST -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COOK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Insurance 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 37 to read as follows: 3 (37) (A) Every health insurance policy issued or delivered in this 4 state shall provide coverage for hearing aids purchased from hearing aid 5 dispensers registered under article thirty-seven-A of the general busi- 6 ness law or audiologists licensed under article one hundred fifty-nine 7 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 three thou- 10 sand dollars every four years for expenses related to the purchase of 11 each hearing aid. 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 three thou- 14 sand dollars every two years for expenses related to the purchase of 15 each hearing aid. 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 (B)(i) For the purposes of this paragraph "hearing aid" shall mean any 21 wearable instrument or devices designed for hearing and any parts, 22 attachments or accessories but excluding batteries and cords or accesso- 23 ries thereto. A registered hearing aid dispenser or licensed audiolo- 24 gist shall determine the type of device needed to correct the hearing 25 loss. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00891-01-3
A. 535 2 1 (ii) For the purposes of this section, services for recasing, reshell- 2 ing and acquiring new molds shall be included as part of the policies. 3 (C) Coverage provided pursuant to this paragraph shall not be subject 4 to deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments. 5 § 2. Section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new 6 subsection (u) to read as follows: 7 (u) (1) Every group health insurance policy issued or delivered in 8 this state shall provide coverage for hearing aids purchased from hear- 9 ing aid dispensers registered under article thirty-seven-A of the gener- 10 al business law or audiologists licensed under article one hundred 11 fifty-nine of the education law in the following manner: 12 (A) for an insured person who is sixteen years of age or older, such 13 insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement of up to three thou- 14 sand dollars every four years for expenses related to the purchase of 15 each hearing aid. 16 (B) for an insured person who is less than sixteen years of age, such 17 insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement of up to three thou- 18 sand dollars every two years for expenses related to the purchase of 19 each hearing aid. When it is demonstrated that (i) the insured child's 20 hearing has changed significantly within a two year period and (ii) the 21 existing hearing aid will no longer correct the child's hearing loss, 22 such insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement for additional 23 hearing aid expenses. 24 (2)(A) For the purposes of this subsection, "hearing aid" shall mean 25 any wearable instrument or devices designed for hearing and any parts, 26 attachments or accessories but excluding batteries and cords or accesso- 27 ries thereto. A registered hearing aid dispenser or licensed audiolo- 28 gist shall determine the type of device needed to correct the hearing 29 loss. 30 (B) For the purposes of this section, services for recasing, reshell- 31 ing and acquiring new molds shall be included as part of the policies. 32 (3) Coverage provided pursuant to this subsection shall not be subject 33 to deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments. 34 § 3. Section 4303 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new 35 subsection (tt) to read as follows: 36 (tt) (1) Every contract issued or delivered in this state by a health 37 service corporation or hospital service corporation shall provide cover- 38 age for hearing aids purchased from hearing aid dispensers registered 39 under article thirty-seven-A of the general business law or audiologists 40 licensed under article one hundred fifty-nine of the education law in 41 the following manner: 42 (A) for an insured person who is sixteen years of age or older, such 43 insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement of up to three thou- 44 sand dollars every four years for expenses related to the purchase of 45 each hearing aid. 46 (B) for an insured person who is less than sixteen years of age, such 47 insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement of up to three thou- 48 sand dollars every two years for expenses related to the purchase of 49 each hearing aid. When it is demonstrated that (i) the insured child's 50 hearing has changed significantly within a two year period and (ii) the 51 existing hearing aid will no longer correct the child's hearing loss, 52 such insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement for additional 53 hearing aid expenses. 54 (2)(A) For the purposes of this subsection, "hearing aid" shall mean 55 any wearable instrument or devices designed for hearing and any parts, 56 attachments or accessories but excluding batteries and cords or accesso-
A. 535 3 1 ries thereto. A registered hearing aid dispenser or licensed audiolo- 2 gist shall determine the type of device needed to correct the hearing 3 loss. 4 (B) For the purposes of this section, services for recasing, reshell- 5 ing and acquiring new molds shall be included as part of the policies. 6 (3) Coverage provided pursuant to this subsection shall not be subject 7 to deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments. 8 § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 9 ing the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to all 10 policies issued, modified or renewed on and after such date.