What's happening
This bill creates a five-year pilot program for dispensing hearing aids in Westchester County with specific disclosure requirements.
Why it matters
Enhances transparency and patient choice. by requiring otolaryngologists who dispense hearing aids for profit to provide patients with a list of five other local hearing aid dispensers and a written disclosure of their own financial interest.
Limits the pilot program to Westchester County and a five-year duration. , allowing for a controlled assessment of its impact on patient care, competition, and potential conflicts of interest in hearing aid dispensing.
Targets oversight of potential conflicts of interest. by mandating clear disclosures when a medical office stands to profit from hearing aid sales, which may help prevent undue influence over patients' purchasing decisions.
Focuses on collaboration between licensed audiologists, hearing aid dispensers, and otolaryngologists. , laying the groundwork for evaluating whether this model improves access or affects consumer protection in hearing health care.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Test Free Hearing Aid Program
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to health
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to higher education
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 44–18
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.625
- Referred to health
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Westchester Hearing Aid Pilot
In Assembly Committee · Higher Education · Sponsor David Buchwald
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5131
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 10, 2019
Introduced by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing a pilot program for the dispensing of hearing aids in the county of Westchester; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new article 17 to read as follows:
ARTICLE 17
DISPENSING OF HEARING AIDS; COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER Section 1700. Dispensing of hearing aids; county of Westchester.
§ 1700. Dispensing of hearing aids; county of Westchester. 1. The county of Westchester shall establish and implement an comprehensive pilot program to provide for the dispensing of hearing aids pursuant to the provisions of this section. Such pilot program shall continue for a period of five years after the effective date of the chapter of the laws of two thousand nineteen that added this article.
2. An audiologist or hearing aid dispenser licensed under article one hundred fifty-nine of the education law employed by an otolaryngologist practicing otolaryngology in the county of Westchester who has conducted a medical evaluation of hearing loss may dispense hearing aids for profit provided that the otolaryngologist who has conducted a medical evaluation of hearing loss provides to the patient a list containing the name and office location of five hearing aid dispensers with a place of business located within the county of Westchester and a written statement disclosing that the otolaryngologist's office will receive a profit from the sale of any hearing aid device.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law and shall expire and be deemed repealed 5 years after such date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11146-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing a pilot program for the dispensing of hearing aids in the county of Westchester; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
Purpose
This bill would create a pilot program in the county of Westchester to allow licensed audiologists or hearing aid dispensers employed by an otolaryngologist to sell hearing aids for profit.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 adds a new section 17 to the public health law.
Section 2 provides the effective date.
Justification
In 2009, Consumer Reports magazine reported the best providers of hear- ing aids (apart from Veteran Affairs facilities) are medical offices headed by otolaryngologists, better known as Ear Nose-and-Throat doctors (ENT's) that employ audiologists to fit and dispense hearing aids. However, under existing law, otolaryngologists/ENT's are not allowed to sell hearing aids to consumers for any meaningful profit. Conversely, independently practicing audiologists, including at big box stores, are allowed to dispense hearing aids at any rate of profit.
Audiologists are often employed by otolaryngologists and have received significant training in providing services to hearing-impaired patients. Accordingly, audiologists should be allowed to dispense and repair hear- ing aids in the same and indeed improved) way as others who are already authorized to do so.
Currently, independently practicing audiologists and hearing aid dispen- sers are allowed to dispense hearing aids for a full profit. This bill would extend this same treatment to audiologists who work in an otolaryngologists/ENTs office through a pilot program in the county of Westchester. This will allow patients to see fewer doctors and special- ists, saving them time, expenses and co-payments. Any otolaryngology office that employs an audiologist and also sells hearing aids would be required to disclose a list of 5 other licensed hearing aid dispensers within their respective county as well as disclose that there will be a profit made from the sale of the device. This will ensure consumers are aware of their choices.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
None to the state.
Effective date
This bill shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.