Relating to health insurance coverage for hearing aids for covered persons age eighteen and younger

This bill requires a health carrier (carrier) that offers individual, group, or small group contracts, policies, or plans in this state that provide for third-party payment or prepayment of health or medical expenses to offer coverage for hearing aids for covered persons age and younger as recommended by a health care professional or audiologist. The bill requires the coverage to include hearing aid fitting and dispensing services conducted by a hearing aid specialist, audiologist, or health care professional. The coverage must include ear molds as necessary to maintain optimal hearing aid fit and any health care services related to a hearing aid, including audiological habilitation or audiological rehabilitation, as recommended by a health care professional or audiologist. The bill limits coverage to one hearing aid for each ear during each consecutive three-year period for a covered person age or younger. The bill requires that coverage cannot be less favorable than coverage a carrier offers for general physical illness and a carrier is prohibited from imposing less favorable cost-sharing requirements than those imposed for general physical illnesses. The commissioner of insurance is required to adopt rules to administer the bill. The bill applies to third-party payment provider contracts, policies, or plans delivered, issued for delivery, continued, or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2023, by the third-party payment providers enumerated in the bill. The bill specifies the types of specialized health-related insurance which are not subject to the coverage requirements.