New Jersey A 2438: Requires health insurers to provide coverage for hearing aids.

Bill Text

(Sponsorship Updated As Of: 5/2/2024)
ASSEMBLY, No. 2438

STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION

Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
Assemblyman REGINALD W. ATKINS
District 20 (Union)
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

SYNOPSIS
Requires health insurers to provide coverage for hearing aids.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

A2438 QUIJANO, ATKINS
2

AN ACT concerning health insurance coverage for hearing aids and 1
supplementing Titles 17 and 26 of the Revised Statutes and Title 2
17B of the New Jersey Statutes. 3
4
BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State 5
of New Jersey: 6
7
1. A hospital service corporation contract that provides hospital 8
or medical expense benefits and is delivered, issued, executed or 9
renewed in this State, or approved for issuance or renewal in this 10
State by the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance, on or after 11
the effective date of this act, shall provide coverage for medically 12
necessary expenses incurred in the purchase of a hearing aid 13
pursuant to this section. 14
a. The coverage shall include the purchase of one analog or 15
digital hearing aid for each ear at least every 48 months, as 16
prescribed or recommended by a State licensed audiologist or a 17
hearing aid dispenser licensed pursuant to P.L.1973, c.19 (C.45:9A-18
1 et seq.). 19
b. The total cost sharing responsibility of the covered person 20
for the hearing aid, including any copayments or deductibles, shall 21
not exceed 15 percent of the cost of the hearing aid. 22
c. This section shall apply to those hospital service corporation 23
contracts in which the hospital service corporation has reserved the 24
right to change the premium. 25
26
2. A medical service corporation contract that provides hospital 27
or medical expense benefits and is delivered, issued, executed or 28
renewed in this State, or approved for issuance or renewal in this 29
State by the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance, on or after 30
the effective date of this act, shall provide coverage for medically 31
necessary expenses incurred in the purchase of a hearing aid 32
pursuant to this section. 33
a. The coverage shall include the purchase of one analog or 34
digital hearing aid for each ear at least every 48 months, as 35
prescribed or recommended by a State licensed audiologist or a 36
hearing aid dispenser licensed pursuant to P.L.1973, c.19 (C.45:9A-37
1 et seq.). 38
b. The total cost sharing responsibility of the covered person 39
for the hearing aid, including any copayments or deductibles, shall 40
not exceed 15 percent of the cost of the hearing aid. 41
c. This section shall apply to those medical service corporation 42
contracts in which the medical service corporation has reserved the 43
right to change the premium. 44
45
3. A health service corporation contract that provides hospital 46
or medical expense benefits and is delivered, issued, executed or 47
renewed in this State, or approved for issuance or renewal in this 48

A2438 QUIJANO, ATKINS
3

State by the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance, on or after 1
the effective date of this act, shall provide coverage for medically 2
necessary expenses incurred in the purchase of a hearing aid 3
pursuant to this section. 4
a. The coverage shall include the purchase of one analog or 5
digital hearing aid for each ear at least every 48 months, as 6
prescribed or recommended by a State licensed audiologist or a 7
hearing aid dispenser licensed pursuant to P.L.1973, c.19 (C.45:9A-8
1 et seq.). 9
b. The total cost sharing responsibility of the covered person 10
for the hearing aid, including any copayments or deductibles, shall 11
not exceed 15 percent of the cost of the hearing aid. 12
c. This section shall apply to those health service corporation 13
contracts in which the health service corporation has reserved the 14
right to change the premium. 15
16
4. A group health insurance policy that provides hospital or 17
medical expense benefits and is delivered, issued, executed or 18
renewed in this State, or approved for issuance or renewal in this 19
State by the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance, on or after 20
the effective date of this act, shall provide coverage for medically 21
necessary expenses incurred in the purchase of a hearing aid 22
pursuant to this section. 23
a. The coverage shall include the purchase of one analog or 24
digital hearing aid for each ear at least every 48 months, as 25
prescribed or recommended by a State licensed audiologist or a 26
hearing aid dispenser licensed pursuant to P.L.1973, c.19 (C.45:9A-27
1 et seq.). 28
b. The total cost sharing responsibility of the covered person 29
for the hearing aid, including any copayments or deductibles, shall 30
not exceed 15 percent of the cost of the hearing aid. 31
c. This section shall apply to those insurance poli