An Act To Require Health Insurance Coverage for Hearing Aids
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 1514
Committee Amendment CA_A_S265 (Senate)
Amends: 24-A MRSA §2762, 24-A MRSA §2847-M, 24-A MRSA §4253

Majority 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A " to S.P. 537, L.D. 1514, Bill, "An Act To 
Require Health Insurance Coverage for Hearing Aids" 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 2, 3 and 4 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 2. 24-A MRSA §2762 is enacted to read: 
§2762. Coveraa;e for bearing aids 
1. Hearing aid; definition. For purposes of this section, "hearing aid" means a 
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. Required coverage. All individual health policies and contracts must provide 
coverage for the purchase of a hearing aid for each hearing-impaired ear for an individual 
covered under the policy or contract who is 18 years of age or under 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. 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 or contract may limit coverage to $1,400 per hearing aid for each 
hearing-impaired ear every 36 months. 
3. Limits; coinsurance; deductibles. Except as otherwise provided in this section, 
any policy or contract that provides coverage for services under this section may contain 
provisions for maximum benefits and coinsurance and reasonable limitations, deductibles 
and exclusions to the extent that these provisions are not inconsistent with the 
requirements of this section. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A " to S.P. 537, L.D. 1514 
Sec.3. 24-A MRSA §2847-M is enacted to read: 
§2847-M. Coverage for hearing aids 
1. Hearing aid; definition. For purposes of this section, "hearing aid" means a 
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. 
Required coverage. 
All group health insurance policies, contracts and 
certificates must provide coverage for the purchase of a hearing aid for each hearing-
impaired ear for an individual covered under the policy. contract or certificate who is 18 
years of age or under 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. 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. 
3. Limits; coinsurance; deductibles. Except as otherwise provided in this section, 
any policy, contract or certificate that provides coverage for services under this section 
may contain provisions for maximum benefits and coinsurance and reasonable 
limitations, deductibles and exclusions to the extent that these provisions are not 
inconsistent with the requirements of this section. 
Sec. 4. 24-A MRSA §4253 is enacted to read: 
§4253. Coverage for hearing aids 
1. Hearing aid; definition. For purposes of this section, "hearing aid" means a 
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. Required coverage. All health maintenance organization individual and group 
health insurance contracts must provide coverage for the purchase of a hearing aid for 
each hearing-impaired ear for an individual covered under the policy, contract or 
certificate who is 18 years of age or under 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. 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 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ",A " to S.P. 537, L.D. 1514 
3. Limits; coinsurance; deductibles. Except as otherwise provided in this section, 
any contract that provides coverage for services under this section may contain provisions 
for maximum benefits and coinsurance and reasonable limitations, deductibles and 
exclusions to the extent that these provisions are not inconsistent with the requirements of 
this section.' 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 5 the following: 
'Sec. 6. Exemption from review. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, 
Title 24-A, section 2752, this Act is enacted without review and evaluation by the 
Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Bureau of Insurance. 
Sec. 7. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
ADMINISTRATNE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Salary Plan 0305 
Initiative: Appropriates and allocates funds for the additional costs of health insurance to 
the State resulting from the requirement to provide coverage for hearing aids for persons 
years of age or under and limits coverage to $1,400 per hearing aid every 36 months. 
GENERAL FUND 
Personal Services 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
HIGHWAY FUND 
Personal Services 
HIGHWAY FUND TOTAL 
2007-08 
$0 
$0 
2007-08 
$0 
$0 
2008-09 
$54,000 
$54,000 
2008-09 
$21,000 
$21,000 
SUMMARY 
This amendment requires health insurance policies, contracts and certificates to 
provide coverage for hearing aids for persons 18 years of age and under. The amendment 
allows insurance policies to limit coverage to $1,400 per hearing aid every 36 months. 
The bill would have required coverage for hearing aids for persons under 21 years of age 
I 
without limits on the amount of coverage. 
The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section to the bill. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/07 107 
~ac:.. 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Highway Fund 
LD 1514 
LR 205(02) 
An Act To Require Health Insurance Coverage for Hearing Aids 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ",4 " 
Committee: Insurance and Financial Services 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
2007-08 
$0 
$0 
2008-09 
$54,000 
$21,000 
Projections 
2009-10 
$56,000 
$22,000 
Appropriations/Allocations 
General Fund 
$0 
$0 
$54,000 
$21,000 
$56,000 
$22,000 
Highway Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Projections 
2010-11 
$59,000 
$23,000 
$59,000 
$23,000 
Adding hearing aid coverage to persons age 18 and under with a limit of $1 ,400 per hearing aid for each hearing 
impaired ear every 36 months will increase premium costs effective with the contract year beginning July 1, 2008. 
The additional employer costs across all funds to the state employee health insurance program is estimated to be 
approximately $131,000 for fiscal year 2008-09. 
A General Fund appropriation of $54,000 and a Highway Fund allocation of $21 ,000 are included for the salary plan 
reserve accounts to fund increases for General Fund and Highway Fund employees. The costs for employees paid by 
other funds, including a small amount for the Fund for a Healthy Maine, may require increased allotments as 
recommended by the State Budget Officer and approved by the Governor. 
Any additional costs to the Bureau ofInsurance in the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation in 
implementing this legislation can be absorbed by the bureau within existing budget resources. This fiscal note does not 
reflect the additional costs to the private health insurance market. 
LR0205(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1