Bill Text: NY S07099 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Enacts "Isabella's law" to require all health insurance policies and medical assistance to provide insurance coverage for the cost of medically necessary hearing aids for children under the age of 16.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO INSURANCE [S07099 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S07099-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7099 IN SENATE (Prefiled) January 8, 2020 ___________ Introduced by Sen. HOYLMAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Insurance AN ACT to amend the insurance law, the public health law and the social services law, in relation to requiring coverage for the purchase of medically necessary hearing aids for children under the age of sixteen years The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as 2 "Isabella's law". 3 § 2. Subsection (i) of section 3216 of the insurance law is amended by 4 adding a new paragraph 36 to read as follows: 5 (36) (A) (i) Every health insurance policy issued or delivered in this 6 state shall provide coverage for medically necessary hearing aids 7 purchased from a hearing aid dispenser registered under article thirty- 8 seven-A of the general business law or an audiologist licensed under 9 article one hundred fifty-nine of the education law for an insured 10 person who is less than sixteen years of age, such insured person shall 11 be entitled to reimbursement of up to one thousand dollars for each 12 hearing aid every two years for expenses related to the purchase of up 13 to two hearing aids. When it is demonstrated that (1) the insured 14 child's hearing has changed significantly within a two year period and 15 (2) the existing hearing aid will no longer correct the child's hearing 16 loss, such insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement for addi- 17 tional hearing aid expenses. 18 (ii) for the purposes of this paragraph, the insured person shall be 19 entitled to spend more than one thousand dollars on each hearing aid, 20 but shall only be allowed reimbursement up to the amount provided in 21 clause (i) of this subparagraph. 22 (B)(i) For the purposes of this paragraph "hearing aid" shall mean any 23 wearable instrument or devices designed for hearing and any parts, 24 attachments or accessories but excluding batteries and cords or accesso- 25 ries thereto. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD08200-02-0S. 7099 2 1 (ii) For the purposes of this section, services for recasing, reshell- 2 ing and acquiring new molds shall be included as part of the policies. 3 (C) Coverage provided pursuant to this paragraph shall not be subject 4 to deductibles, coinsurance or copayments. 5 § 3. Section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new 6 subsection (u) to read as follows: 7 (u) (1) (A) Every group health insurance policy issued or delivered in 8 this state shall provide coverage for hearing aids purchased from a 9 hearing aid dispenser registered under article thirty-seven-A of the 10 general business law or an audiologist licensed under article one 11 hundred fifty-nine of the education law for an insured person who is 12 less than sixteen years of age, such insured person shall be entitled to 13 reimbursement of up to one thousand dollars for each hearing aid every 14 two years for expenses related to the purchase of up to two hearing 15 aids. When it is demonstrated that (i) the insured child's hearing has 16 changed significantly within a two year period and (ii) the existing 17 hearing aid will no longer correct the child's hearing loss, such 18 insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement for additional hearing 19 aid expenses. 20 (B) For the purposes of this subsection, the insured person shall be 21 entitled to spend more than one thousand dollars on each hearing aid, 22 but shall only be allowed reimbursement up to the amount provided in 23 subparagraph (A) of this paragraph. 24 (2)(A) For the purposes of this subsection, "hearing aid" shall mean 25 any wearable instrument or devices designed for hearing and any parts, 26 attachments or accessories but excluding batteries and cords or accesso- 27 ries thereto. 28 (B) For the purposes of this section, services for recasing, reshell- 29 ing and acquiring new molds shall be included as part of the policies. 30 (3) Coverage provided pursuant to this subsection shall not be subject 31 to deductibles, coinsurance or copayments. 32 § 4. Section 4303 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new 33 subsection (ss) to read as follows: 34 (ss) (1) (A) Every contract issued or delivered in this state by a 35 health service corporation or hospital service corporation shall provide 36 coverage for hearing aids purchased from a hearing aid dispenser regis- 37 tered under article thirty-seven-A of the general business law or an 38 audiologist licensed under article one hundred fifty-nine of the educa- 39 tion law for an insured person who is less than sixteen years of age, 40 such insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement of up to one 41 thousand dollars for each hearing aid every two years for expenses 42 related to the purchase of up to two hearing aids. When it is demon- 43 strated that (i) the insured child's hearing has changed significantly 44 within a two year period and (ii) the existing hearing aid will no long- 45 er correct the child's hearing loss, such insured person shall be enti- 46 tled to reimbursement for additional hearing aid expenses. 47 (B) For the purposes of this subsection, the insured person shall be 48 entitled to spend more than one thousand dollars on each hearing aid, 49 but shall only be allowed reimbursement up to the amount provided in 50 subparagraph (A) of this paragraph. 51 (2)(A) For the purposes of this subsection, "hearing aid" shall mean 52 any wearable instrument or devices designed for hearing and any parts, 53 attachments or accessories but excluding batteries and cords or accesso- 54 ries thereto. 55 (B) For the purposes of this section, services for recasing, reshell- 56 ing and acquiring new molds shall be included as part of the policies.S. 7099 3 1 (3) Coverage provided pursuant to this subsection shall not be subject 2 to deductibles, coinsurance or copayments. 3 § 5. Subdivision 6 of section 2511 of the public health law is amended 4 by adding a new paragraph (c-1) to read as follows: 5 (c-1) standards requiring coverage for medically necessary hearing 6 aids in accordance with subsection (u) of section three thousand two 7 hundred twenty-one of the insurance law; 8 § 6. Subdivision 2 of section 365-a of the social services law is 9 amended by adding a new paragraph (gg) to read as follows: 10 (gg) the purchase of medically necessary hearing aids from a hearing 11 aid dispenser registered under article thirty-seven-A of the general 12 business law or an audiologist licensed under article one hundred 13 fifty-nine of the education law for any child who is less than sixteen 14 years of age. Such assistance shall be limited to one thousand dollars 15 for each hearing aid every two years for up to two hearing aids. 16 § 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020 and sections two, three 17 and four of this act shall apply to all policies issued, modified or 18 renewed on and after such date.
