HB839 Summary

• Requires all individual and group health insurance policies, hospital/medical service plans, and health maintenance organization contracts issued or renewed after December 31, 2021 to provide coverage for hearing aids for policyholders and covered individuals.

• Establishes minimum coverage benefit of $1,500 per hearing aid for each hearing-impaired ear every 36 months, with coverage applying to both conventional and bone conduction hearing aids.

• Allows individuals to purchase hearing aids priced higher than the benefit amount without financial or contractual penalty to the hearing aid provider.

• Permits coverage to be subject to standard deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and annual or maximum payment limits consistent with other similar coverage under the policy.

• Requires insurers to notify policyholders of hearing aid coverage in writing by December 31, 2021, and exempts this mandatory coverage requirement from impact assessment reporting requirements.