What's happening
This bill requires insurance coverage for medically necessary hearing aids for children under 16, with reimbursement up to $1,000 per hearing aid every two years.
Why it matters
Reduces financial barriers for families. By mandating insurance coverage (with no deductibles, copays, or coinsurance) for children's hearing aids, the bill helps ensure that cost doesn't prevent access to medically necessary devices, which are often expensive and not always covered by insurance.
Supports child development and educational outcomes. Early and reliable access to hearing aids is crucial for language acquisition, cognitive development, and academic success in children with hearing loss. This coverage may help mitigate delays and learning challenges caused by untreated hearing impairment.
Allows flexibility for changing needs. The bill recognizes that children's hearing can change over time, permitting additional reimbursement if a child’s hearing loss worsens and a new device is needed before the standard two-year interval.
Standardizes and broadens insurance requirements. By amending multiple state laws, the bill aligns private health insurance, public health programs, and Medicaid to uniformly require this coverage across New York, increasing equity and consistency for affected families.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Cover Hearing Aids for Kids
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Enacting clause stricken
- Referred to insurance
- Referred to insurance
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6626
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 10, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. TITONE, SKOUFIS -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ABBATE, COOK, ENGLEBRIGHT, GALEF, GOTTFRIED, HIKIND, HOOPER, MONTESANO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Insurance
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, the public health law and the social services law, in relation to requiring coverage for the purchase of medically necessary hearing aids for children under the age of sixteen years
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Isabella's law".
§ 2. Subsection (i) of section 3216 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new paragraph 34 to read as follows:
(34) (A) (i) Every health insurance policy issued or delivered in this state shall provide coverage for medically necessary hearing aids purchased from a hearing aid dispenser registered under article thirtyseven-A of the general business law or an audiologist licensed under article one hundred fifty-nine of the education law for an insured person who is less than sixteen years of age, such insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement of up to one thousand dollars for each hearing aid every two years for expenses related to the purchase of up to two hearing aids. When it is demonstrated that (1) the insured child's hearing has changed significantly within a two year period and (2) the existing hearing aid will no longer correct the child's hearing loss, such insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement for additional hearing aid expenses.
(ii) for the purposes of this paragraph, the insured person shall be entitled to spend more than one thousand dollars on each hearing aid, but shall only be allowed reimbursement up to the amount provided in clause (i) of this subparagraph.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09218-01-7
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(B)(i) For the purposes of this paragraph "hearing aid" shall mean any wearable instrument or devices designed for hearing and any parts, attachments or accessories but excluding batteries and cords or accessories thereto.
(ii) For the purposes of this section, services for recasing, reshelling and acquiring new molds shall be included as part of the policies.
(C) Coverage provided pursuant to this paragraph shall not be subject to deductibles, coinsurance or copayments.
§ 3. Section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new subsection (t) to read as follows:
(t) (1) (A) Every group health insurance policy issued or delivered in this state shall provide coverage for hearing aids purchased from a hearing aid dispenser registered under article thirty-seven-A of the general business law or an audiologist licensed under article one hundred fifty-nine of the education law for an insured person who is less than sixteen years of age, such insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement of up to one thousand dollars for each hearing aid every two years for expenses related to the purchase of up to two hearing aids. When it is demonstrated that (i) the insured child's hearing has changed significantly within a two year period and (ii) the existing hearing aid will no longer correct the child's hearing loss, such insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement for additional hearing aid expenses.
(B) For the purposes of this subsection, the insured person shall be entitled to spend more than one thousand dollars on each hearing aid, but shall only be allowed reimbursement up to the amount provided in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.
(2)(A) For the purposes of this subsection, "hearing aid" shall mean any wearable instrument or devices designed for hearing and any parts, attachments or accessories but excluding batteries and cords or accessories thereto.
(B) For the purposes of this section, services for recasing, reshelling and acquiring new molds shall be included as part of the policies.
(3) Coverage provided pursuant to this subsection shall not be subject to deductibles, coinsurance or copayments.
§ 4. Section 4303 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new subsection (rr) to read as follows:
(rr) (1) (A) Every contract issued or delivered in this state by a health service corporation or hospital service corporation shall provide coverage for hearing aids purchased from a hearing aid dispenser registered under article thirty-seven-A of the general business law or an audiologist licensed under article one hundred fifty-nine of the education law for an insured person who is less than sixteen years of age, such insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement of up to one thousand dollars for each hearing aid every two years for expenses related to the purchase of up to two hearing aids. When it is demonstrated that (i) the insured child's hearing has changed significantly within a two year period and (ii) the existing hearing aid will no longer correct the child's hearing loss, such insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement for additional hearing aid expenses.
(B) For the purposes of this subsection, the insured person shall be entitled to spend more than one thousand dollars on each hearing aid, but shall only be allowed reimbursement up to the amount provided in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.
(2)(A) For the purposes of this subsection, "hearing aid" shall mean any wearable instrument or devices designed for hearing and any parts,
A. 6626 3
attachments or accessories but excluding batteries and cords or accessories thereto.
(B) For the purposes of this section, services for recasing, reshelling and acquiring new molds shall be included as part of the policies.
(3) Coverage provided pursuant to this subsection shall not be subject to deductibles, coinsurance or copayments.
§ 5. Subdivision 6 of section 2511 of the public health law is amended by adding a new paragraph (c-1) to read as follows:
(c-1) standards requiring coverage for medically necessary hearing aids in accordance with subsection (t) of section three thousand two hundred twenty-one of the insurance law;
§ 6. Subdivision 2 of section 365-a of the social services law is amended by adding a new paragraph (dd) to read as follows:
(dd) the purchase of medically necessary hearing aids from a hearing aid dispenser registered under article thirty-seven-A of the general business law or an audiologist licensed under article one hundred fifty-nine of the education law for any child who is less than sixteen years of age. Such assistance shall be limited to one thousand dollars for each hearing aid every two years for up to two hearing aids.
§ 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018 and sections two, three and four of this act shall apply to all policies issued, modified or renewed on and after such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
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