An Act To Require All Health Insurers To Offer Coverage for the Costs of Hearing Aids Further amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting in its place the following: Sec. 1. 24 MRSA §2317-B, sub-§12-B is enacted to read: 12-B. Title 24-A. sections 2761. 2847-L and 4252. Offer of coverage for hearing aids, Title 24-A, sections 2761, 2847-L and 4252: Sec.2. 24-A MRSA §2761 is enacted to read: §2761. Mandated offer of coverage for hearing aids 1. Hearing aid: definition. For 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, excluding batteries and cords and other assistive listening devices, including, but not limited to, frequency modulation systems. 2. Mandated offer of coverage. All individual health policies and contracts must make available coverage, at the option of the policyholder and at appropriate rates, for the Page l-LR0989(4) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1087
Committee Amendment CA_C_S395 (Senate)
Amends: 24 MRSA §2317-B, 24-A MRSA §2761, 24-A MRSA §2847-L

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,,6 to S.P. 359, L.D. 1087, Bill, "An 
Act To Require All Health Insurers To Cover the Costs of Hearing 
Aids" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting 
the following: 
'An Act To Require All Health Insurers To Offer Coverage for the 
Costs of Hearing Aids' 
Further amend the bill by striking out everything after the 
enacting clause and before the summary and inserting in its place 
the following: 
'Sec. 1. 24 MRSA §2317-B, sub-§12-B is enacted to read: 
12-B. Title 24-A. sections 2761. 2847-L and 4252. 
Offer of 
coverage for hearing aids, Title 24-A, sections 2761, 2847-L and 
4252: 
Sec.2. 24-A MRSA §2761 is enacted to read: 
§2761. 
Mandated offer of coverage for hearing aids 
1. Hearing aid: definition. 
For 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, excluding batteries 
and cords and other assistive listening devices, including, but 
not limited to, frequency modulation systems. 
2. 
Mandated offer of 
coverage. 
All 
individual 
health 
policies 
and contracts must make 
available coverage, 
at the 
option of the policyholder and at appropriate rates, for the 
Page l-LR0989(4) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
cw 
It 
4::' 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .<:; to S.P. 359, L.D. 1087 
purchase of a hearing aid for each ear for an individual covered 
under the policy in accordance with the following reguirements. 
A. 
The hearing loss must be documented by a physician or 
audiologist licensed pursuant to Title 32. chapter 77. 
B. 
The hearing aid must be purchased from an audiologist 
licensed pursuant to Title 32. chapter 77 or a hearing aid 
dealer licensed pursuant to Title 3-2. chapter 23-A. 
C. The policy. contract or certificate may limit coverage to 
$1. 400 per hearing aid for each hearing-impaired ear every 
months. 
D. 
An individual may choose a hearing aid that is priced 
higher than the coverage reguired under this section and may 
pay the difference between the price of the hearing aid and 
the maximum payment available under this section. 
3. 
Limits: coinsurance: deductibles. 
Except as otherwise 
provided in this section. any policy. contract or certificate 
that provides coverage reguired to be made available under this 
section 
may 
contain 
prov~s~ons 
for 
maximum 
benefits 
and 
coinsurance 
and 
reasonable 
limitations. 
deductibles 
and 
exclusions 
to 
the 
extent 
that 
these 
prov~s~ons 
are 
not 
inconsistent with the reguirements of this section. 
Sec.3. 24-A MRSA §2847-L is enacted to read: 
§2847-L. 
Mandated offer of coverage for hearing aids 
1. 
Hearing aid: definition. 
For purposes of this section. 
"hearing aid" means any nonexperimenta1. wearable instrument or 
device designed for the ear and offered for the purpose of aiding 
or compensating for impaired human hearing. excluding batteries 
and cords and other assistive listening devices. including, but 
not limited to. freguency modulation systems. 
2. 
Mandated 
offer 
of 
coverage. 
All 
group 
insurance 
policies. 
contracts 
and 
certificates 
must 
make 
available 
coverage. at the option of the policyholder and at appropriate 
rates. for the purchase of a hearing aid for each ear for an 
individual 
covered 
under 
the policy in 
accordance with the 
following reguirements. 
A. 
The hearing loss must be documented by a physician or 
audiologist licensed pursuant to Title 32. chapter 77. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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4t:' 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT roc, to S.P. 359, L.D. 1087 
B. 
The hearing aid must be purchased from an audiologist 
licensed pursuant to Title 32, chapter 77 or a hearing aid 
dealer licensed pursuant to Title 32, chapter 23-A. 
C. 
The policy, contract or certificate may limit coverage 
to $1,400 per hearing aid for each hearing-impaired ear 
every 36 months. 
D. 
An individual may choose a hearing aid that is priced 
higher than the coverage reguired under this section and may 
pay the difference between the price of the hearing aid and 
the maximum payment available under this section. 
3. 
Limits: coinsurance: deductibles. 
Except as otherwise 
provided in this section, any policy, contract or certificate 
that provides coverage reguired to be made available under this 
section 
may 
contain 
prov~s~ons 
for 
maximum 
benefits 
and 
coinsurance 
and 
reasonable 
limitations, 
deductibles 
and 
exclusions 
to 
the 
extent 
that 
these 
provisions 
are 
not 
inconsistent with the reguirements of this section. 
Sec. 4. 24-A MRS A §4252 is enacted to read: 
§4252. 
Mandated offer of coverage for hearing aids 
1. 
Bearing aid: definition. 
For 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, excluding batteries 
and cords and other assistive listening devices, including, but 
not limited to. freguency modulation systems. 
2. 
Mandated offer of coverage. 
All health maintenance 
organization individual and group contracts and certificates must 
make available coverage. at the option of the policyholder and at 
appropriate rates. for the purchase of a hearing aid for each ear 
for an individual covered under the policy in accordance with the 
following reguirements. 
A. 
The hearing loss must be documented by a physician or 
aUdiologist licensed pursuant to Title 32. chapter 77. 
B. 
The hearing aid must be purchased from an audiologist 
licensed pursuant to Title 32. chapter 77 or a hearing aid 
dealer licensed pursuant to Title 32. chapter 23-A. 
C. 
The policy, contract or certificate may limit coverage 
to $1.400 per hearing aid for each hearing-impaired ear 
every 36 months. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .C:; to S.P. 359, L.D. 1087 
D. 
An individual may choose a hearing aid that is l?riced 
higher than the coverage required under this section and may 
l?ay the difference between the l?rice of the hearing aid and 
the maximum l?ayment available under this section. 
3. 
Limits: coinsurance: deductibles. 
Excel?t as otherwise 
l?rovided in this section, any l?olicy, contract or certificate 
that l?rovides coverage required to be made available under this 
section 
may 
contain 
l?rov~s~ons 
for 
maximum 
benefits 
and 
coinsurance 
and 
reasonable 
limitations, 
deductibles 
and 
exclusions 
to 
the 
extent 
that 
these 
l?rov~s~ons 
are 
not 
inconsistent with the requirements of this section. 
Sec. 5. Applicability. 
The requirements of this Act apply to 
all policies, 
contracts and certificates executed, 
delivered, 
issued for delivery, continued or renewed in this State on or 
after January 1, 2005. 
For purposes of this Act, all contracts 
are 
deemed 
to 
be 
renewed 
no 
later 
than 
the 
next 
yearly 
anniversary of the contract date.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill and changes the title and 
is the minority report of the committee. 
It establishes 
a 
mandated offer for coverage for hearing aids under individual and 
group health insurance policies. 
The amendment allows insurance 
policies to limit coverage to $1,400 per hearing aid every 36 
months. 
The 
prov~s~ons apply to all policies, 
contracts and 
certificates issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2005. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
• 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 02111104 ..:;:tb?ac:.. 
Office of Fiscal and Program Review 
LD 1087 
An Act To Require All Health Insurers To Cover the Costs of Hearing 
Aids 
LR 0989(04) 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment C 
Committee: Insurance and Financial Services 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Minority Report 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Because the amendment requires a mandated offer of coverage for hearing aids -- and not mandatory coverage - the 
State Employee Health Plan (SEHP) would have the option to include or exclude this coverage. The fiscal note 
assumes the SEHP would only make the decision to expand coverage if sufficient funding is available to offset any 
additional costs. 
Any additional costs to the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation in implementing this legislation can 
be absorbed by the department within existing resources. 
LR0989(4) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1