| Chapter 389 |
| 2025 -- S 0120 Enacted 07/01/2025 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES |
Introduced By: Senators Raptakis, Patalano, DiMario, Ciccone, Appollonio, Burke, Urso, Rogers, Paolino, and Sosnowski |
| Date Introduced: January 31, 2025 |
| 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)(1) 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, 2006 January 1, 2026, shall provide coverage for one |
| thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) one thousand seven hundred fifty dollars ($1,750) per |
| individual hearing aid, per ear, every three (3) years for anyone under the age of nineteen (19) |
| years, and shall provide coverage for seven hundred dollars ($700) per individual hearing aid, per |
| ear, every three (3) years for anyone of the age of nineteen (19) years and older. |
| (2) Every group health insurance contract 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, 2006 January 1, 2026, shall provide, as an optional rider, additional hearing aid coverage. |
| Provided, the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to contracts, plans, or group policies |
| subject to the small employer health insurance availability act, chapter 50 of this title. |
| (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) |
| hospitalHospital confinement indemnity; (2) disabilityDisability income; (3) accidentAccident |
| only; (4) longLong-term care; (5) Medicare supplement; (6) limitedLimited benefit health; (7) |
| specifiedSpecified diseased indemnity; (8) sicknessSickness of bodily injury or death by accident |
| or both; (9)and (9) otherOther limited benefit policies. |
| 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)(1) 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, 2006 January 1, 2026, shall provide coverage for one |
| thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) one thousand seven hundred fifty dollars ($1,750) per |
| individual hearing aid, per ear, every three (3) years for anyone under the age of nineteen (19) |
| years, and shall provide coverage for seven hundred dollars ($700) per individual hearing aid per |
| ear, every three (3) years for anyone of the age of nineteen (19) years and older. |
| (2) Every group health insurance contract 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, 2006 January 1, 2026, shall provide, as an optional rider, additional hearing aid coverage. |
| Provided, the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to contracts, plans, or group policies |
| subject to the small employer health insurance availability act, chapter 50 of this title. |
| (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. |
| 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)(1) 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, 2006 January 1, 2026, shall provide coverage for one |
| thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) one thousand seven hundred fifty dollars ($1,750) per |
| individual hearing aid, per ear, every three (3) years for anyone under the age of nineteen (19) |
| years, and shall provide coverage for seven hundred dollars ($700) per individual hearing aid per |
| ear, every three (3) years for anyone of the age of nineteen (19) years and older. |
| (2) Every group health insurance contract 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, 2006 January 1, 2026, shall provide, as an optional rider, additional hearing aid coverage. |
| Provided, the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to contracts, plans, or group policies |
| subject to the small employer health insurance availability act, chapter 50 of this title. |
| (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. |
| 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)(1) 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, 2006 January 1, 2026, shall provide coverage for one |
| thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) one thousand seven hundred fifty dollars ($1,750) per |
| individual hearing aid, per ear, every three (3) years for anyone under the age of nineteen (19) |
| years, and shall provide coverage for seven hundred dollars ($700) per individual hearing aid per |
| ear, every three (3) years for anyone of the age of nineteen (19) years and older. |
| (2) Every group health insurance contract 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, 2006 January 1, 2026, shall provide, as an optional rider, additional hearing aid coverage. |
| Provided, the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to contracts, plans, or group policies |
| subject to the small employer health insurance availability act, chapter 50 of this title. |
| (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. |
| SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC001038 |
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