TN Mandates Hearing Aid Coverage for Children
Tennessee Gov Bill Haslam has signed legislation (H.B.761) that mandates that insurance policies in the state provide coverage of up to $1,000 per ear, every three years, for every child covered as a dependent by the policy holder. The state exempted TennCare, the state's expanded Medicaid program, from the mandate which will go into effect on January 1, 2012. There are now 19 states that have formally adopted legislation mandating insurance coverage for hearing aids, with only New Hampshire and Rhode Island mandating coverage for adults in addition to children. A Summary of Insurance Mandates is featured on HIA's website at hearing.org.
MD Codifies Right to Utilize Insurance Benefit to Cover Part of Hearing Aid Cost
On May 19, Maryland adopted legislation (H.B.452/S.B.702) that specifies that an individual purchasing a hearing aid can opt to pay the difference between the price of the hearing aid and the dollar limit on the hearing aid benefit provided by an insurance policy. This had become an issue for some people with hearing loss and hearing professionals in the state when an individual sought to utilize a defined benefit to cover part of the final cost of a hearing aid, and to pay the balance out-of-pocket. Since 2002, Maryland has mandated that all insurance policies provide up to $1,400 per hearing aid for children up to age 18.
