NY State Senate Bill 2025-S514

Current 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 08, 2025	referred to insurance

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2025-S514 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A680
Current Committee:: Senate Insurance
Law Section:: Insurance Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§3221 & 4303, Ins L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: A8628
2019-2020: S5495, A2325
2021-2022: S533, A5035
2023-2024: S1475, A149

2025-S514 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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

2025-S514 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S514

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 relevant commercial insurance plans to cover the cost of
hearing aids.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Amends section 3221 of the insurance law by adding a new
subsection (v).

Section 2. Amends section 4303 of the insurance law by adding a new
subsection (ww).

Section 3. Sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

This legislation requires insurance coverage for hearing aids by commer-
cial insurers. 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. Currently, 13 states, including Colorado,
Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma,
Oregon, Tennessee, and Texas require that health benefit plans pay for
hearing aids for children.

Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, New Hampshire and Rhode Island also
require health plans to pay for hearing aids, regardless of age. 19
states in total mandate the coverage of hearing aids in some form.
Studies provided by the Center for Hearing and Communication show that
hearing loss occurs in 5 out of every 1,000 newborns. Children ages 18
and under are subject to the greatest physical growth of their whole
life. Constant growth through puberty can leave families with outstand-
ing balances from purchasing hearing aids when they suffer from hearing
loss. Not only can the potential outstanding balances affect the chil-
dren in our community, but also can affect their education and future
success. The Center for Hearing and Communication has also shown that
mild hearing loss can cause a child to miss as much as 501 of classroom
discussion.

Additionally, providing prescription hearing aids to children stands to
save the state money in the long run. According to the 2017 Annual
Report on the Children's Hearing Aid Program, published by the Utah
Department of Health, "the provision of hearing aids in eligible young
children reduces the need for long term services. Research has shown
that the earlier a child can be fit with appropriate amplification, the
greater the potential for :typical speech and language development,
social skills, academic achievement, and future vocational skills. Early
amplification and appropriate Early Intervention services save signif-
icant costs associated with special education services and the potential
need for long term services, thereby reducing the financial burden on
the public."

This legislation will not only have enormous cost savings for New York
State, but it will also ensure that individuals and families do not have
to bear the large cost of hearing aids.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023/2024: S1474 referred to Insurance

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.

2025-S514 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    514
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. PERSAUD, ADDABBO, COMRIE, GOUNARDES, HINCHEY, MYRIE,
   SALAZAR,  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.  Section  3221 of the insurance law is amended by adding a
 new subsection (v) to read as follows:
   (V) (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 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 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.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD01662-02-5
 S. 514                              2
 
   § 2. Section 4303 of the insurance law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subsection (ww) to read as follows:
   (WW)(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 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.

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Senate Bill S514

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Insurance Committee

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co-Sponsors

2025-S514 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S514 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S514 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S514 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Insurance Committee

Actions

co-Sponsors

2025-S514 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S514 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S514 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S514 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments