S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
680--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
(PREFILED)
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES, STERN, COLTON, HUNTER, FORREST, STECK,
JACOBSON, MEEKS, LAVINE, HEVESI, SHRESTHA, RAGA, BORES, CONRAD, RA,
DeSTEFANO, McDONOUGH, K. BROWN -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Insurance -- recommitted to the Committee on Insurance in
accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill
amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
tee
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. Section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by adding a
new subsection (w) to read as follows:
(W) (1) AS USED IN THIS SUBSECTION, "HEARING AID" SHALL HAVE THE SAME
MEANING AND DEFINITION USED IN SECTION SEVEN HUNDRED EIGHTY-NINE OF THE
GENERAL BUSINESS LAW.
(2) EVERY LARGE GROUP POLICY WHICH PROVIDES MAJOR MEDICAL OR COMPRE-
HENSIVE-TYPE COVERAGE SHALL INCLUDE COVERAGE FOR THE COST OF HEARING
AIDS WHEN THE INSURED HAS NOT ATTAINED THE AGE OF TWENTY-SEVEN AND HAS
RECEIVED A MEDICAL EVALUATION AND SUCH HEARING AIDS ARE FITTED AND
DISPENSED BY AN AUDIOLOGIST REGISTERED AS A HEARING AID DISPENSER OR A
REGISTERED HEARING AID DISPENSER REGISTERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE
THIRTY-SEVEN-A OF THE GENERAL BUSINESS LAW, PROVIDED AN ENTITY SUBJECT
TO THIS SUBSECTION MAY LIMIT THE BENEFIT PAYABLE UNDER THIS SUBSECTION
TO TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS PER HEARING AID FOR EACH HEARING-
IMPAIRED EAR EVERY THIRTY-SIX 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.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01662-04-6
A. 680--A 2
(4) AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBSECTION SHALL
PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR THE COST OF HEARING AIDS DISPENSED BY AN IN-NETWORK
AUDIOLOGIST REGISTERED AS A HEARING AID DISPENSER OR A REGISTERED HEAR-
ING AID DISPENSER AND SHALL NOT LIMIT OR DENY COVERAGE OF THE COST OF A
HEARING AID BASED ON THE STYLE, BRAND, OR CIRCUIT TYPE OF THE HEARING
AID.
§ 2. Section 4303 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new
subsection (yy) to read as follows:
(YY)(1) AS USED IN THIS SUBSECTION, "HEARING AID" SHALL HAVE THE SAME
MEANING AND DEFINITION USED IN SECTION SEVEN HUNDRED EIGHTY-NINE OF THE
GENERAL BUSINESS LAW.
(2) EVERY LARGE GROUP POLICY WHICH PROVIDES MEDICAL, MAJOR MEDICAL OR
COMPREHENSIVE-TYPE COVERAGE SHALL INCLUDE COVERAGE FOR THE COST OF HEAR-
ING AIDS WHEN THE INSURED HAS NOT ATTAINED THE AGE OF TWENTY-SEVEN AND
HAS RECEIVED A MEDICAL EVALUATION AND SUCH HEARING AIDS ARE FITTED AND
DISPENSED BY AN AUDIOLOGIST REGISTERED AS A HEARING AID DISPENSER OR A
REGISTERED HEARING AID DISPENSER REGISTERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE
THIRTY-SEVEN-A OF THE GENERAL BUSINESS LAW, PROVIDED AN ENTITY SUBJECT
TO THIS SUBSECTION MAY LIMIT THE BENEFIT PAYABLE UNDER THIS SUBSECTION
TO TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS PER HEARING AID FOR EACH HEARING-
IMPAIRED EAR EVERY THIRTY-SIX 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) AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBSECTION SHALL
PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR THE COST OF HEARING AIDS DISPENSED BY ANY IN-NET-
WORK AUDIOLOGIST REGISTERED AS A HEARING AID DISPENSER OR A REGISTERED
HEARING AID DISPENSER AND SHALL NOT LIMIT OR DENY COVERAGE OF A HEARING
AID BASED ON THE STYLE, BRAND, OR CIRCUIT TYPE OF THE HEARING AID.
§ 3. 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.