Senate Bill S5495

2019-2020 Legislative Session

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

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Insurance 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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2019-S5495 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A2325
Current Committee:
Senate Insurance
Law Section:
Insurance Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§3216, 3221 & 4303, Ins L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2017-2018: A8628
2021-2022: S533, A5035
2023-2024: S1475, A149

2019-S5495 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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

2019-S5495 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2019-S5495 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5495
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 3, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. PERSAUD, SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee 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  NON-
 DISPOSABLE DEVICE THAT IS OF A DESIGN AND CIRCUITRY TO OPTIMIZE AUDITION
 AND  LISTENING  SKILLS  IN THE ENVIRONMENT COMMONLY EXPERIENCED BY CHIL-
 DREN.
   (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 MEDICALLY APPROPRIATE TO THE AGE
 OF THE CHILD, PROVIDED:
   (I)  AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THIS PARAGRAPH MAY LIMIT THE BENEFIT PAYABLE
 UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH TO THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS PER HEARING AID FOR  EACH
 HEARING-IMPAIRED EAR EVERY TWENTY-FOUR MONTHS.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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