Requiring health insurance coverage of hearing aids and cochlear implants for persons under 18 years of age

What it does

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill requires health insurance policies and plans to cover the cost of hearing aids, which include any externally wearable instruments or devices designed to enhance hearing, and cochlear implants, which include any implantable instruments or devices designed to enhance hearing, that are prescribed by a physician or audiologist in accordance with accepted professional medical or audiological standards, for any child under 18 years of age who has coverage under the policy or plan and who is certified as deaf or hearing impaired by a physician or an audiologist. Treatment (defined as services, diagnoses, procedures, surgery, and therapy provided by a health care professional) for such a child that is related to hearing aids and cochlear implants is also required to be covered. Coverage for hearing aids is not required to exceed the cost of one hearing aid per ear per child more often than once every three years. The coverage requirement applies to both individual and group health insurance policies and plans, including defined network plans and cooperative sickness care associations; to health care plans offered by the state to its employees, including a self-insured plan; and to self-insured health plans of counties, cities, towns, villages, and school districts. The requirement specifically does not apply to limited-scope benefit plans, medicare replacement or supplement policies, long-term care policies, or policies covering only certain specified diseases. The required coverage may be subject to any limitations, cost-sharing provisions, or exclusions, other than a preexisting condition exclusion, that apply generally under the policy or plan. An exception is that an individual health insurance policy may impose a preexisting condition exclusion that does not exceed one year with respect to coverage for cochlear implants and related treatment. However, the bill requires an individual health insurance policy that imposes a preexisting condition exclusion to cover the cost of cochlear implants and related treatment during the preexisting condition exclusion period if certain specified medical conditions occur during the period that make time of the essence for a child to receive the implants and related treatment.

Who's behind it

11 senators are its authors⁠. 8 are Democrats and 3 are Republicans.

31 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.

What it would cost

State agencies filed a cost estimate. Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

• Fiscal Estimate From OCI

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

• Amendment AA1-SB27
• Amendment AA2-SB27
• Amendment AA3-SB27
• Amendment SA1-SB27
• Amendment SA2-SB27
• LC Amendment Memo