Assembly Bill A9572A

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Relates to the mandatory coverage of hearing aids by insurers and other organizations

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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Bill Amendments

2021-A9572 - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S8684
Current Committee:
Assembly Insurance
Law Section:
Insurance Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§3216, 3221 & 4303, Ins L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
A142, S1474

2021-A9572 - Summary

Requires coverage for hearing aids for patients who are covered under a policy or contract of insurance if the hearing aids are fitted and dispensed by a licensed audiologist certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association following medical clearance by a physician licensed to practice medicine and an audiological evaluation.

2021-A9572 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9572
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 16, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Insurance
 
 AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to the mandatory coverage
   of hearing aids by insurers and other organizations
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Subsection  (i)  of  section 3216 of the insurance law is
 amended by adding a new paragraph 36 to read as follows:
   (36) (A) AS USED IN THIS PARAGRAPH, "HEARING AID" SHALL MEAN  A  MEDI-
 CALLY-PRESCRIBED,  NON-DISPOSABLE DEVICE THAT IS OF A DESIGN AND CIRCUI-
 TRY TO OPTIMIZE AUDITION AND LISTENING SKILLS.
   (B) THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL APPLY TO THE FOLLOWING ENTITIES:
   (I) INSURERS AND NONPROFIT HEALTH SERVICE PLANS, INCLUDING THE  OFFICE
 OF  GROUP BENEFITS, THAT PROVIDE HOSPITAL, MEDICAL, OR SURGICAL BENEFITS
 TO INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS  ON  AN  EXPENSE-INCURRED  BASIS  UNDER  HEALTH
 INSURANCE  POLICIES  OR  CONTRACTS  THAT ARE ISSUED OR DELIVERED IN THIS
 STATE.
   (II) MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATIONS AS DEFINED AND LICENSED BY  STATE  LAW
 THAT  PROVIDE  HOSPITAL,  MEDICAL OR SURGICAL BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS OR
 GROUPS UNDER CONTRACTS THAT ARE ISSUED OR DELIVERED IN THIS STATE.
   (C) AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THIS PARAGRAPH  SHALL  PROVIDE  COVERAGE  FOR
 HEARING  AIDS FOR PATIENTS WHO ARE COVERED UNDER A POLICY OR CONTRACT OF
 INSURANCE IF THE HEARING AIDS ARE FITTED AND  DISPENSED  BY  A  LICENSED
 AUDIOLOGIST  CERTIFIED  BY  THE AMERICAN SPEECH-LANGUAGE-HEARING ASSOCI-
 ATION FOLLOWING MEDICAL CLEARANCE BY A PHYSICIAN  LICENSED  TO  PRACTICE
 MEDICINE AND AN AUDIOLOGICAL EVALUATION, PROVIDED:
   (I)  AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THIS PARAGRAPH MAY LIMIT THE BENEFIT PAYABLE
 UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH TO FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS PER HEARING AID  FOR  EACH
 HEARING-IMPAIRED EAR EVERY TWENTY-FOUR MONTHS.
   (II)  AN  INSURED OR ENROLLED INDIVIDUAL MAY CHOOSE A HEARING AID THAT
 IS PRICED HIGHER THAN THE BENEFIT PAYABLE UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH  AND  MAY
 PAY  THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PRICE OF THE HEARING AID AND THE BENEFIT
 PAYABLE UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH WITHOUT FINANCIAL OR CONTRACTUAL PENALTY TO
 THE PROVIDER OF THE HEARING AID.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

2021-A9572A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S8684
Current Committee:
Assembly Insurance
Law Section:
Insurance Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§3216, 3221 & 4303, Ins L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
A142, S1474

2021-A9572A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires coverage for hearing aids for patients who are covered under a policy or contract of insurance if the hearing aids are fitted and dispensed by a licensed audiologist certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association following medical clearance by a physician licensed to practice medicine and an audiological evaluation.

2021-A9572A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  9572--A
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 16, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on  Insurance  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
   reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to the mandatory coverage
   of hearing aids by insurers and other organizations
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subsection (i) of section 3216  of  the  insurance  law  is
 amended by adding a new paragraph 37 to read as follows:
   (37)  (A)  AS USED IN THIS PARAGRAPH, "HEARING AID" SHALL MEAN A MEDI-
 CALLY-PRESCRIBED, NON-DISPOSABLE DEVICE THAT IS OF A DESIGN AND  CIRCUI-
 TRY TO OPTIMIZE AUDITION AND LISTENING SKILLS.
   (B) EVERY POLICY WHICH PROVIDES HOSPITAL, MEDICAL OR SURGICAL COVERAGE
 SHALL PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR HEARING AIDS FOR PATIENTS IF THE HEARING AIDS
 ARE  FITTED  AND  DISPENSED  BY  A LICENSED AUDIOLOGIST CERTIFIED BY THE
 AMERICAN SPEECH-LANGUAGE-HEARING ASSOCIATION FOLLOWING MEDICAL CLEARANCE
 BY A PHYSICIAN LICENSED TO PRACTICE MEDICINE AND AN AUDIOLOGICAL  EVALU-
 ATION,  PROVIDED AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THIS PARAGRAPH MAY LIMIT THE BENE-
 FIT PAYABLE UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH TO FIVE THOUSAND  DOLLARS  PER  HEARING
 AID FOR EACH HEARING-IMPAIRED EAR EVERY TWENTY-FOUR MONTHS.
   (C)  THIS  PARAGRAPH  DOES  NOT  PROHIBIT  AN  ENTITY  SUBJECT  TO THE
 PROVISIONS OF THIS PARAGRAPH FROM PROVIDING COVERAGE THAT IS GREATER  OR
 MORE FAVORABLE TO AN INSURED OR ENROLLED.
   §  2.  Section  3221  of  the insurance law is amended by adding a new
 subsection (u) to read as follows:
   (U) (1) AS USED IN THIS SUBSECTION, "HEARING AID" SHALL MEAN  A  MEDI-
 CALLY-PRESCRIBED,  NON-DISPOSABLE DEVICE THAT IS OF A DESIGN AND CIRCUI-
 TRY TO OPTIMIZE AUDITION AND LISTENING.
   (2) EVERY POLICY WHICH PROVIDES HOSPITAL, MEDICAL OR SURGICAL COVERAGE
 SHALL PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR HEARING AIDS FOR  PATIENTS  IF  SUCH  HEARING
 AIDS ARE FITTED AND DISPENSED BY A LICENSED AUDIOLOGIST CERTIFIED BY THE
 AMERICAN  SPEECH-LANGUAGE-HEARING  ASSOCIATION, FOLLOWING MEDICAL CLEAR-
 ANCE BY A PHYSICIAN LICENSED TO PRACTICE MEDICINE, AND  AN  AUDIOLOGICAL
 EVALUATION,  PROVIDED AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THIS SUBSECTION MAY LIMIT THE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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