Hearing Aid Insurance
The issue of hearing aid insurance is heating up, and several states are responding with bills to require coverage of some
hearing aids for some people. It's a long ways from universal coverage,
but it's a start.
May
2002 - Maryland Requires Insurers to Pay for Babies'
Hearing Aids
September 2002 - Hearing Aid Insurance Legislation
Update by Randy Kirsch provides a great summary of current hearing
aid insurance legislation (HAIL).
January 2004 - Virginia is considering
legislation to require insurance to cover hearing aids for kids.
October 2004 - California governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoes legislation that would have required
insurance companies to help pay for children's hearing aids!
December 2005 - Medicare has just
decided to cover the Baha Hearing System. It had not previously been
covered by Medicare, because it was classified as a hearing aid. But a
reclassification of the device noe makes it eligible.
May 2006 - Hearing Aid Insurance Coverage
for Kids Coming to California?
June 2006 - State Insurance Mandates
for Hearing Aids
October 2006 - Businesses Benefit by
Including Hearing Aid Insurance Coverage
June 2007 - HEAR Act Introduced to
Eliminate Exclusion of Hearing Aids from Medicare
July 2007 - Maine Law Requires Insurers
To Cover Kids' Hearing Aids
February 2008 - The Urgent Need for
Hearing Aid Insurance Coverage
March 2008 - OPM Gives Health Insurers an
Earful on Hearing Benefits
May 2008 - Family Advocates for Hearing
Aid Insurance Coverage
May 2008 - Colorado Passes Hearing Aid
Insurance Mandate for Kids
June 2008 - Delaware Passes Mandatory
Hearing Aid Insurance Coverage for Kids
January 2009 - NJ Law Requires
Insurance Coverage For Children's Hearing Aids
May 2009 - Grace's Law in New Jersey
Requires Insurance Coverage of Hearing Aids
November 2009 - Health Reform Bills
Include Children's Hearing Aids and Care
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May 2002
We've noted with pleasure the increasing strength of the movement to
get hearing aids covered under health insurance. As things currently
stand, insurance aid coverage is usually optional and is negotiated
between the insurer and the insured. For those covered under a group
plan, the terms of the plan as negotiated by the plan provider determine
the presence or absence of hearing aid coverage.
That is starting to change, as a few states start to require hearing
aid coverage in certain situations. The most recent news is that
effective last October, health insurers in Maryland are required to pay
up to $1400 per ear every 3 years for children's hearing aids.
We have long known that the early use of hearing aids can provide a
lifelong benefit to people born with hearing loss. Because we are able
to most easily learn language as infants, the early years are the most
crucial times to have sound input. Kids who don't get that early input
almost never catch up in terms of language development.
Universal infant screening programs are ensuring that we identify the
children with hearing loss as early as possible. The next step is to be
sure that these kids have immediate access to hearing aids. For many
families, insurance coverage is the best, possibly the only, way to
ensure this access.
As of late 2001, only four states require any kind of insurance
coverage for children's hearing aids. These states are Connecticut,
Maryland, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island. If you live in one of those
states, please spread the word. If not, please spread the word.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 2004
Editor: The Virginia legislature is considering a bill that would
require health insurance to provide hearing aid coverage for children. I
know, I know! We need it for adults, too. But we may need to go slow on
this and take what we can get (I hope) now. Here's a summary of the
proposed bill.
By the way, we were hearing a lot about insurance coverage for
hearing aids a while ago, but haven't seen anything for a while. Maybe
I'm just missing the articles. Please do let me know if there's
something going on in your state.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Insurance; mandated healthcare coverage; hearing aids for minors.
Requires health insurers, health maintenance organizations, and
corporations providing health care coverage subscription contracts to
provide coverage for hearing aids and related services for children from
birth to age 18 when a licensed audiologist prescribes such hearing aids
and related services. Such coverage shall include one hearing aid per
hearing-impaired ear, up to a cost of $1,400, every 36 months. The
insured may choose a higher priced hearing aid and pay the difference in
cost above $1,400, with no penalty to the insured or the hearing aid
provider. No co-payment will apply. Hearing aids are not to be
considered durable medical equipment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Editor: Those who have been following the Hearing Aid Insurance
Legislation (HAIL) efforts know that the California legislature passed a
bill requiring health insurance companies to include hearing aid
coverage for children. Sadly, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill
(sigh).
The following story is reprinted with permission from the Los Angeles
Daily News, September 24, 2004
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Alex Dobuzinskis Staff Writer
BURBANK -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill championed by a
Burbank woman that would have required health insurance companies to
help pay for children's hearing aids.
SB 1158 was introduced by Sen. Jack Scott, D-Pasadena, at the urging
of Susan Grafman, 39. Her medical insurance did not cover the cost of
hearing aids for her two sons and she had to pay $7,600 for the devices.
"While I want children with hearing impairments to have hearing
aids, I am concerned that increasing the cost of health coverage by
mandating benefits, if even by a small amount, would have the far more
serious consequence of leaving some children without (any) health
insurance whatsoever," Schwarzenegger wrote to members of the
Senate in vetoing the bill Wednesday.
Grafman said she was surprised by the veto. The state's Medi-Cal and
Healthy Families programs cover hearing aids and the rich can pay for
them, but the "middle class is left out of the loop struggling to
pay for hearing aids for their children," she said.
Grafman expects to work to support another version of the bill if it
is introduced.
Alex Dobuzinskis, (818) 546-3304
alex.dobuzinskis@dailynews.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May 2006
For the
fourth time since 2002, the California State Senate is grappling with a
bill that would require insurance companies help finance hearing aids for
children. It's a legislative battle inspired by one determined Burbank
parent. The bill that State Sen. Jack Scott introduced during a press
conference at George Washington Elementary would require insurance
companies to pay up to $1,000 to provide hearing aids to children younger
than 18. Over the past four years, the bill has floundered. Even in 2004,
when the bill was passed by the Senate and State Assembly, it lost
momentum after reaching Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
June 2006
Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, and
Oklahoma require that health benefits plans in their state pay for hearing
aids for children. Requirements vary state by state for:
* ages
covered
* amount
of coverage
* benefit
period
* provider
qualifications
* type of
hearing loss
Rhode
Island requires coverage for both children and adults.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 2006
Over 31 million people have some degree of hearing
loss. More than 80% of the hearing-loss population can improve their
condition by being fitted with hearing aids, reports the National Center
of Health Statistics. So, why are hearing plans such a forgotten benefit
while dental and vision coverage is considered standard? It could be
because employees are reluctant to recognize their diminished hearing or
are too sheepish to ask about a benefit. Employers who raise awareness of
hearing problems and implement a hearing benefit could see a major return
on investment.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July 2007
Maine children with hearing disabilities will benefit
from legislation signed by Gov. John Baldacci. The governor on Thursday
signed into law a bill that requires health insurance policies to provide
coverage for hearing aids for children up to age 18. The mandate will be
phased in by age groups. Policies issued or renewed as of Jan. 1, 2008,
must provide hearing aid coverage for children from birth to 5 years of
age starting next January. For children 6 to 13 years old, coverage must
start in January 2009; and for those 14 to 18 years old, coverage begins
in January 2010.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 2008
Imagine having a child born deaf... and having
insurance companies refuse to pay for hearing aids. [...] You pay your
insurance premiums, and those insurance companies then refuse to pay for
hearing aids or surgery that would allow your child to hear. It's a
scenario happening here in Wisconsin. Deaf Wisconsin children with
insurance are being denied payment for hearing aids. One Wisconsin
lawmaker with ties to the insurance industry is standing in the way. [...]
We recently met Amy Boehler who described the first time her 4-year-old
son put on his hearing aid. "He just sat with his mouth open for hours
with amazement that 'there's sound in this world.' Little devices are
making a big difference. The problem is Wisconsin does not require
insurance companies to cover hearing aids.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 2008
After teeth and eyes, it's time for ears. The
federal employee health insurance program yesterday urged health insurance
companies to strengthen their coverage for adults who need hearing aids or
have problems hearing. The health insurance program rolled out enhanced
benefits for dental and vision services to federal employees in 2006, and
Linda M. Springer, director of the Office of Personnel Management, said
hearing benefits are "an area where we need to do more," starting in 2009.
The federal workforce has a large number of aging baby boomers who will be
in need of professional services to help them cope with hearing loss and
the sense of isolation that often accompanies it, Springer said. "This is
an area that has not gotten the attention it deserves," she said. Last
year, OPM asked insurance companies to increase coverage of hearing
benefits for newborns and children, noting that hearing loss is one of the
most common congenital birth defects. Some companies increased those
benefits, at little or no additional cost to enrollees, OPM said.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May 2008
Bill and Jeanine Gleba have health insurance for
their whole family, but it does nothing to help with their greatest
medical cost. Hearing aids for their 8-year-old daughter, Grace, run
about $7,000 every three years. Insurance doesn't cover them. "They don't
consider it medically necessary. They consider it a luxury item," Jeanine
Gleba said. But for the Glebas, the hearing aids are necessary for Grace
to have a normal life. She was born with moderate to severe hearing loss.
Without hearing aids, the third-grade student could only hear sounds as
loud as a plane overhead. With them, she can hear everything but some
whispers. "We live in a hearing world -- why should she be denied that
opportunity?" Jeanine Gleba said. "That's what kills you about insurance
companies -- they pay for Viagra. These are wheelchairs for kids' ears,
giving them one of their senses."
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May 2008
Colorado's General Assembly recently passed a
full coverage hearing aid insurance mandate. The bill (CO SB 057) now
awaits Governor Bill Ritter's signature. The mandate calls for health
insurance providers to cover the hearing aid needs of minors under the
age of 18. The bill would provide coverage subject to "the same annual
deductible or co-payments established for all other benefits." If signed,
the law will come into effect January 1, 2009.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May 2009
Beginning March 30, New Jersey insurance companies
will be required to cover $1,000 per hearing aid every 24 months for
children 15 years old or younger for new insurance plans. For existing
plans, the law takes effect on the renewal date. Acting Governor Richard
Codey's signature of the bills (S-467 and A-1571) into law on Dec. 30,
2008 (Gov. Jon Corzine was out of town), culminated a legislative effort
that won the support of 57 sponsors in both houses of the state
legislature. The new law is the result of numerous bills that had been
introduced in six legislative sessions since 1999. The subsequent
ceremonial signing with Gov. Jon Corzine marked the end of a nine-year
advocacy effort led by Jeanine Gleba in Washington, N.J., on behalf of her
9-year-old daughter, Grace, and the one in every 1,000 children born in
the state with hearing loss who need hearing aids.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 2009
The House bill and both Senate bills define
rehabilitative and habilitative services as a basic benefit that must be
provided by all health insurance plans. (see "From the President," p. 20.)
The House and Senate Finance proposals provide an additional provision
that would require health insurance plans to cover hearing services and
devices for children under age 21. Health insurance carriers historically
have attempted to deny coverage of speech-language pathology and audiology
services to children with communication disorders. Although many
communication disorders are medically based and caused by a neurological
injury or dysfunction that affects communication skills, insurance
policies frequently label these disorders as developmental or educational
and deny services to treat them.
Full Story
