NY State Senate Bill 2023-S1474

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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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to insurance
Jan 12, 2023	referred to insurance

co-Sponsors

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2023-S1474 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A142
Current Committee:: Senate Insurance
Law Section:: Insurance Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§3216, 3221 & 4303, Ins L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S8684, A9572
2025-2026: A6132

2023-S1474 (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.

2023-S1474 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1474

SPONSOR: PERSAUD
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to the mandatory coverage
of hearing aids by insurers and other organizations

 
PURPOSE:

To require all managed care organizations that provide hospital,
medical, or surgical benefits to individuals or groups under contracts
that are issued in this state to provide coverage for prescription hear-
ing aids for adults.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Amends section 3216 of the insurance law.

Section 2. Amends section 3221 of the insurance law.

Section 3. Amends section 4303 of the insurance law.

Section 4. Sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

This legislation seeks to offer insurance coverage for prescription
hearing aids by all insurers, non-profit health plans, and managed care
organizations to provide funding for the purchase of hearing aids and
hearing aid related services for all patients 18 years and older.

A 2017 survey by the Hearing Health Foundation, a group that funds
research and advocates for treatments and cures for hearing loss, found
that 40 percent of respondents had no hearing aid coverage through
health insurance. New York State is woefully behind on protecting indi-
viduals with hearing loss - 24 states already require private insurers
to cover the costs of hearing aids for their subscribers.

Older New Yorkers often live on a limited income, and cannot afford the
costly prescription) hearing aids that they require. This legislation
will not only have cost savings for New York State, but it will also
ensure that older residents do not have to bear the burden of costly
hearing aids.

 
RACIAL JUSTICE IMPACT:

TBD.

 
GENDER JUSTICE IMPACT:

TBD.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2022: S8684A referred to Insurance

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

TBD.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to all policies
and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered, or amended on or after
such date. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal
of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act
on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or
before such date.

2023-S1474 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1474
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 12, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. PERSAUD, ADDABBO, COMRIE, HOYLMAN-SIGAL, SALAZAR --
   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 39 to read as follows:
   (39)  (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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02034-01-3

 S. 1474                             2
 
 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
 BENEFIT PAYABLE UNDER THIS SUBSECTION TO FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS PER HEAR-
 ING AID FOR EACH HEARING-IMPAIRED EAR EVERY TWENTY-FOUR MONTHS.
   (3)  THIS  SUBSECTION  DOES  NOT  PROHIBIT  AN  ENTITY  SUBJECT TO THE
 PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBSECTION FROM PROVIDING COVERAGE THAT IS GREATER OR
 MORE FAVORABLE TO AN INSURED OR ENROLLED INDIVIDUAL.
   § 3. Section 4303 of the insurance law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subsection (uu) to read as follows:
   (UU)(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
 BENEFIT PAYABLE UNDER THIS SUBSECTION TO FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS PER HEAR-
 ING AID FOR EACH HEARING-IMPAIRED EAR EVERY TWENTY-FOUR MONTHS.
   (3)  THIS  SUBSECTION  DOES  NOT  PROHIBIT  AN  ENTITY  SUBJECT TO THE
 PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBSECTION FROM PROVIDING COVERAGE THAT IS GREATER OR
 MORE FAVORABLE TO AN INSURED OR ENROLLED INDIVIDUAL.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
 ing  the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to all
 policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered, or amended on
 or after such date.   Effective  immediately,  the  addition,  amendment
 and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
 of  this  act  on  its  effective  date  are  authorized  to be made and
 completed on or before such date.

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Senate Bill S1474

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Insurance Committee

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co-Sponsors

2023-S1474 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S1474 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S1474 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S1474 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Roxanne J. Persaud

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Insurance Committee

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co-Sponsors

Joseph P. Addabbo Jr.

Leroy Comrie

Brad Hoylman-Sigal

Robert Jackson

2023-S1474 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S1474 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S1474 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S1474 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments