Chapter
550
2004 -- H 7488 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 07/09/04
A N A C T
RELATING
TO HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE -- MANDATED HEARING AID
COVERAGE
Introduced
By: Representatives Jacquard, Moran, Tejada, and Montanaro
Date
Introduced: February 04, 2004
It
is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION
1. Section 27-18-60 of the General Laws in Chapter 27-18 entitled
"Accident
and
Sickness Insurance Policies" is hereby amended to read as follows:
27-18-60.
Hearing aids. -- (a) Every individual or group health insurance
contract, or
every
individual or group hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy
delivered,
issued for delivery, or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2005
shall provide,
coverage
for one thousand dollars ($1,000) per individual hearing aid, per ear, every
three (3)
years,
for children under the age of eighteen (18) years of age, covered as a
dependent by the
policy
holder and shall also provide, as an optional rider, coverage for hearing
aids.
(b) For the purposes of this section:
(1) "Hearing aid" means any nonexperimental, wearable instrument or
device designed
for
the ear and offered for the purpose of aiding or compensating for impaired human
hearing, but
excluding
batteries, cords, and other assistive listening devices, including, but not
limited to FM
systems.
(c) It shall remain within the sole discretion of the accident and sickness
insurer as to the
provider
of hearing aids with which they choose to contract. Reimbursement shall be
provided
according
to the respective principles and policies of the accident and sickness insurer.
Nothing
contained
in this section precludes the accident and sickness insurer from conducting
managed
care,
medical necessity, or utilization review.
(d) This section does not apply to insurance coverage providing benefits for:
(1) hospital
confinement
indemnity; (2) disability income; (3) accident only; (4) long term care; (5)
Medicare
supplement;
(6) limited benefit health; (7) specified diseased indemnity; (8) sickness of
bodily
injury
or death by accident or both; other limited benefit policies; and (10)
contracts, plans or
group
policies subject to the Small Employer Health Insurance Availability Act,
chapter 50 of
this
title.
SECTION
2. Section 27-19-51 of the General Laws in Chapter 27-19 entitled
"Nonprofit
Hospital
Service Corporations" is hereby amended to read as follows:
27-19-51.
Hearing aids. -- (a) Every individual or group health insurance
contract, or
every
individual or group hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy
delivered,
issued for delivery, or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2005
shall provide,
coverage
for one thousand dollars ($1,000) per individual hearing aid, per ear, every
three (3)
years,
for children under the age of eighteen (18) years of age, covered as a
dependent by the
policy
holder and shall also provide, as an optional rider, coverage for hearing aids.
(b) For the purposes of this section, "hearing aid" means any
nonexperimental, wearable
instrument
or device designed for the ear and offered for the purpose of aiding or
compensating
for impaired
human hearing, but excluding batteries, cords, and other assistive listening
devices,
including,
but not limited to, FM systems.
(c) It shall remain within the sole discretion of the nonprofit hospital
service corporation
as to
the provider of hearing aids with which they choose to contract. Reimbursement
shall be
provided
according to the respective principles and policies of the nonprofit hospital
service
corporation.
Nothing contained in this section precludes the nonprofit hospital service
corporation
from
conducting managed care, medical necessity, or utilization review.
(d) This section does not apply to contract plans or group policies subject to
the Small
Employer
Health Insurance Availability Act, chapter 50 of this title.
SECTION
3. Section 27-20-46 of the General Laws in Chapter 27-20 entitled
"Nonprofit
Medical
Service Corporations" is hereby amended to read as follows:
27-20-46.
Hearing aids. -- (a) Every individual or group health insurance
contract, or
every
individual or group hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy
delivered,
issued for delivery, or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2005
shall provide,
coverage
for one thousand dollars ($1,000) per individual hearing aid, per ear, every
three (3)
years,
for children under the age of eighteen (18) years of age, covered as a
dependent by the
policy
holder,
as an optional rider, coverage for the services of hearing aids.
(b) For the purposes of this section, "hearing aid" means any
nonexperimental, wearable
instrument
or device designed for the ear and offered for the purpose of aiding or
compensating
for
impaired human hearing, but excluding batteries, cords, and other assistive
listening devices,
including,
but not limited to, FM systems.
(c) It shall remain within the sole discretion of the nonprofit medical service
corporation
as to
the provider of hearing aids with which they choose to contract. Reimbursement
shall be
provided
according to the respective principles and policies of the nonprofit medical
service
corporation.
Nothing contained in this section precludes the nonprofit medical service
corporation
from
conducting managed care, medical necessity, or utilization review.
(d) This section does not apply to contract plans or group policies subject to
the Small
Employer
Health Insurance Availability Act, chapter 50 of this title.
SECTION
4. Section 27-41-63 of the General Laws in Chapter 27-41 entitled "Health
Maintenance
Organizations" is hereby amended to read as follows:
27-41-63.
Hearing aids. -- (a) Every individual or group health insurance
contract, or
every
individual or group hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy
delivered,
issued for delivery, or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2005
shall provide,
coverage
for one thousand dollars ($1,000) per individual hearing aid, per ear, every
three (3)
years,
for children under the age of eighteen (18) years of age, covered as a
dependent by the
policy
holder,
as an optional rider, coverage for hearing aids.
(b) For the purposes of this section, "hearing aid" means any
nonexperimental, wearable
instrument
or device designed for the ear and offered for the purpose of aiding or
compensating
for
impaired human hearing, but excluding batteries, cords, and other assistive
listening devices,
including,
but not limited to FM systems.
(c) It shall remain within the sole discretion of the health maintenance
organizations as
to
the provider of hearing aids with which they choose to contract. Reimbursement
shall be
provided
according to the respective principles and policies of the health maintenance
organizations.
Nothing contained in this section precludes the health maintenance
organizations
from
conducting managed care, medical necessity, or utilization review.
(d) Provided, that this section does not apply to contracts, plans or group
policies subject
to
the Small Employer Health Insurance Availability Act, chapter 50 of this title.
SECTION
5. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC00608/SUB
A
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