An Act To Require Health Insurers To Cover the Cost of Sign Language Interpreters for All Nonhospital Medical Appointments
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0448
Committee: Insurance and Financial Services
Sponsors: EDMONDS, BLANCHETTE
Amends: 24 MRSA §2317, 24-A MRSA §4252

Legislative Document 
:\ o. "'"'8 
S.P. 146 
In Senate, January· 27.2005 
An Act To Require Health Insurers To Cover the Cost of Sign 
Language Interpreters for All Nonhospital Medical Appointments 
Reference to the Committee on Insurance and Financial Services suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by President EDMONDS of Cumberland. 
Cosponsored by Representative: BLANCHETTE of Bangor. 
PllIIlcd \lll r('cydcJ pap('r 
JOY J. O'BRIE)'; 
Secretary of the Senate 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 24 MRSA §2317.B, sub·§12·B is enacted to read: 
12-B. Tit1e 24-A, sections 2761, 2847-L and 4252. 
Coverage 
for sign language interpreters, Title 24-A, sections 2761, 2847-L 
and 4252; 
Sec. 2. 24·A MRS A §2761 is enacted to read: 
§2761. Coverage for sign 1anguage interpreters 
1. Sign 1anguage interpreter; definition. 
For the purposes 
of this section, 
"sign language interpreter" 
means 
a 
person 
fluent 
in 
American 
Sign 
Language 
who 
provides 
intermediary 
interpreting between a deaf or hard-of-hearing person and another 
person. 
2. Required coverage. 
All individual health policies and 
contracts must provide coverage for 
the provision of 
a 
sign 
language interpreter for a person who is deaf or hard-of-hearing 
in accordance with the following requirements. 
A. 
The hearing loss must be documented by a physician or 
audiologist licensed pursuant to Title 32, chapter 77. 
B. 
Sign language interpreter services must be provided by a 
certified interpreter licensed pursuant to Title 32, chapter 
22. 
C. 
A sign language interpreter must be provided for all 
covered nonhospital medical 
and dental 
care appointments 
applicable under this Title. 
Sec. 3. 24·A MRSA §2847·L is enacted to read: 
§2847-L. Coverage for sign 1anguage interpreters 
1. Sign 1anguage 
inte~reter; definition. 
For the purposes 
of this section, 
"sign language interpreter" 
means 
a 
person 
fluent 
in 
American 
Sign 
Language 
who 
provides 
intermediary 
interpreting between a deaf or hard-of-hearing person and another 
person. 
2. 
Required 
coverage. 
All 
group 
insurance 
policies, 
contracts 
and 
certificates 
must 
provide 
coverage 
for 
the 
provlSlon of a sign language interpreter for a person who is deaf 
or hard of-hearing in accordance with the following requirements. 
A. 
The hearing loss must be documented by a physician or 
audiologist licensed pursuant to Title 32, chapter 77. 
B. 
Sign language interpreter services must be provided by a 
certified interpreter licensed pursuant to Title 32, chapter 
22. 
C. 
A sign language interpreter must be provided for all 
covered nonhospital medical 
and dental 
care appointments 
applicable under this Title. 
Sec. 4. 24-A MRSA §4252 is enacted to read: 
§4252. Coverage for sign language interpreters 
1. Sign language interpreter; definition. 
For the purposes 
of this section, 
"sign language 
interpreter" means 
a 
person 
fluent 
in 
American 
Sign 
Language 
who 
provides 
intermediary 
interpreting between a deaf or hard-of-hearing person and another 
person. 
2. Required coverage. All health maintenance organization 
individual 
and group contracts 
and certificates must provide 
coverage for the provision of a sign language interpreter for a 
person who is deaf or hard-of-hearing 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. 
Sign language interpreter services must be provided by a 
certified interpreter licensed pursuant to Title 32, chapter 
n----
C. 
A sign language interpreter must be provided for all 
covered nonhospital medical 
and dental care appointments 
applicable under this Title. 
Sec. 5. Applicability. 
This Act applies to all 
contracts executed, delivered, issued for delivery, 
renewed on or after January 1, 2006. 
All pOlicies 
are 
deemed 
to 
be 
renewed 
no 
later 
than 
the 
anniversary of the contract date. 
SUMMARY 
policies and 
continued or 
and contracts 
next 
yearly 
This bill requires 
to 
provide 
interpreter 
coverage 
services at 
heal th insurance policies and contracts 
for 
the 
provision 
of 
sign 
language 
all applicable nonhospital medical and 
dental care appointments for 
whose 
hearing loss has 
been 
licensed audiologist. 
a deaf or 
documented 
hard-of-hearing person 
by 
a 
physician or 
a