2025 -- H 5218
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LC000949
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES
Introduced By: Representatives McEntee, Donovan, Cortvriend, Azzinaro, Bennett,
Edwards, Shallcross Smith, Serpa, Handy, and Noret
Date Introduced: January 29, 2025
Referred To: House Health & Human Services
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 27-18-60 of the General Laws in Chapter 27-18 entitled "Accident 1
and Sickness Insurance Policies" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
27-18-60. Hearing aids. 3
(a)(1) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group 4
hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery, 5
or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2006 January 1, 2026, shall provide coverage for one 6
thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) one thousand seven hundred fifty dollars ($1,750) per 7
individual hearing aid, per ear, every three (3) years for anyone under the age of nineteen (19) 8
years, and shall provide coverage for seven hundred dollars ($700) per individual hearing aid, per 9
ear, every three (3) years for anyone of the age of nineteen (19) years and older. 10
(2) Every group health insurance contract or group hospital or medical expense insurance 11
policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state on or after 12
January 1, 2006 January 1, 2026, shall provide, as an optional rider, additional hearing aid coverage. 13
Provided, the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to contracts, plans, or group policies 14
subject to the small employer health insurance availability act, chapter 50 of this title. 15
(b) For the purposes of this section: 16
(1) “Hearing aid” means any nonexperimental, wearable instrument or device designed for 17
the ear and offered for the purpose of aiding or compensating for impaired human hearing, but 18
excluding batteries, cords, and other assistive listening devices, including, but not limited to FM 19
LC000949 - Page 2 of 5
systems. 1
(c) It shall remain within the sole discretion of the accident and sickness insurer as to the 2
provider of hearing aids with which they choose to contract. Reimbursement shall be provided 3
according to the respective principles and policies of the accident and sickness insurer. Nothing 4
contained in this section precludes the accident and sickness insurer from conducting managed 5
care, medical necessity, or utilization review. 6
(d) This section does not apply to insurance coverage providing benefits for: (1) hospital 7
confinement indemnity; (2) disability income; (3) accident only; (4) long term care; (5) Medicare 8
supplement; (6) limited benefit health; (7) specified diseased indemnity; (8) sickness of bodily 9
injury or death by accident or both; (9) and other limited benefit policies. 10
SECTION 2. Section 27-19-51 of the General Laws in Chapter 27-19 entitled "Nonprofit 11
Hospital Service Corporations" is hereby amended to read as follows: 12
27-19-51. Hearing aids. 13
(a)(1) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group 14
hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery, 15
or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2006 January 1, 2026, shall provide coverage for one 16
thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) one thousand seven hundred fifty dollars ($1,750) per 17
individual hearing aid, per ear, every three (3) years for anyone under the age of nineteen (19) 18
years, and shall provide coverage for seven hundred dollars ($700) per individual hearing aid per 19
ear, every three (3) years for anyone of the age of nineteen (19) years and older. 20
(2) Every group health insurance contract or group hospital or medical expense insurance 21
policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state on or after 22
January 1, 2006 January 1, 2026, shall provide, as an optional rider, additional hearing aid coverage. 23
Provided, the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to contracts, plans, or group policies 24
subject to the small employer health insurance availability act, chapter 50 of this title. 25
(b) For the purposes of this section, “hearing aid” means any nonexperimental, wearable 26
instrument or device designed for the ear and offered for the purpose of aiding or compensating for 27
impaired human hearing, but excluding batteries, cords, and other assistive listening devices, 28
including, but not limited to, FM systems. 29
(c) It shall remain within the sole discretion of the nonprofit hospital service corporation 30
as to the provider of hearing aids with which they choose to contract. Reimbursement shall be 31
provided according to the respective principles and policies of the nonprofit hospital service 32
corporation. Nothing contained in this section precludes the nonprofit hospital service corporation 33
from conducting managed care, medical necessity, or utilization review. 34
LC000949 - Page 3 of 5
SECTION 3. Section 27-20-46 of the General Laws in Chapter 27-20 entitled "Nonprofit 1
Medical Service Corporations" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
27-20-46. Hearing aids. 3
(a)(1) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group 4
hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery, 5
or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2006 January 1, 2026, shall provide coverage for one 6
thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) one thousand seven hundred fifty dollars ($1,750) per 7
individual hearing aid, per ear, every three (3) years for anyone under the age of nineteen (19) 8
years, and shall provide coverage for seven hundred dollars ($700) per individual hearing aid per 9
ear, every three (3) years for anyone of the age of nineteen (19) years and older. 10
(2) Every group health insurance contract or group hospital or medical expense insurance 11
policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state on or after 12
January 1, 2006 January 1, 2026, shall provide, as an optional rider, additional hearing aid coverage. 13
Provided, the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to contracts, plans, or group policies 14
subject to the small employer health insurance availability act, chapter 50 of this title. 15
(b) For the purposes of this section, “hearing aid” means any nonexperimental, wearable 16
instrument or device designed for the ear and offered for the purpose of aiding or compensating for 17
impaired human hearing, but excluding batteries, cords, and other assistive listening devices, 18
including, but not limited to, FM systems. 19
(c) It shall remain within the sole discretion of the nonprofit medical service corporation 20
as to the provider of hearing aids with which they choose to contract. Reimbursement shall be 21
provided according to the respective principles and policies of the nonprofit medical service 22
corporation. Nothing contained in this section precludes the nonprofit medical service corporation 23
from conducting managed care, medical necessity, or utilization review. 24
SECTION 4. Section 27-41-63 of the General Laws in Chapter 27-41 entitled "Health 25
Maintenance Organizations" is hereby amended to read as follows: 26
27-41-63. Hearing aids. 27
(a)(1) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group 28
hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery, 29
or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2006 January 1, 2026, shall provide coverage for one 30
thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) one thousand seven hundred fifty dollars ($1,750) per 31
individual hearing aid, per ear, every three (3) years for anyone under the age of nineteen (19) 32
years, and shall provide coverage for seven hundred dollars ($700) per individual hearing aid per 33
ear, every three (3) years for anyone of the age of nineteen (19) years and older. 34
LC000949 - Page 4 of 5
(2) Every group health insurance contract or group hospital or medical expense insurance 1
policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state on or after 2
January 1, 2006 January 1, 2026, shall provide, as an optional rider, additional hearing aid coverage. 3
Provided, the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to contracts, plans, or group policies 4
subject to the small employer health insurance availability act, chapter 50 of this title. 5
(b) For the purposes of this section, “hearing aid” means any nonexperimental, wearable 6
instrument or device designed for the ear and offered for the purpose of aiding or compensating for 7
impaired human hearing, but excluding batteries, cords, and other assistive listening devices, 8
including, but not limited to FM systems. 9
(c) It shall remain within the sole discretion of the health maintenance organizations as to 10
the provider of hearing aids with which they choose to contract. Reimbursement shall be provided 11
according to the respective principles and policies of the health maintenance organizations. Nothing 12
contained in this section precludes the health maintenance organizations from conducting managed 13
care, medical necessity, or utilization review. 14
SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon passage. 15
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LC000949
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES
***
This act would increase insurance coverage for hearing aids from one thousand five 1
hundred dollars ($1,500) to one thousand seven hundred fifty dollars ($1,750), per ear, for all 2
people regardless of age effective January 1, 2026. 3
This act would take effect upon passage. 4
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LC000949
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