New Laws in Connecticut and Maine Effective January 1, 2020 Expand Hearing Aid Coverage to Include Adults

On January 1, a new law went into effect in Connecticut that codifies a previous Connecticut Insurance Department bulletin requiring that insurance companies cover hearing aids for adults as well as children.  The previous Connecticut Insurance Department bulletin that found that the state law mandating insurance coverage for children’s hearing aids was an example of  a “discriminatory benefit design” citing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that broadly prohibits discrimination in benefit design based on age.  Under prior law, health insurance policies could limit hearing aid coverage to $1,000 within a 24-month period. The new law changes that limit to one hearing aid per ear within a two-year window, regardless of cost.

Also on January 1, a new law went into effect in Maine requiring both the state Medicaid program and private insurers to cover hearing aids for adults.  It calls for insurers to cover the cost of hearing aids up to $3,000 per ear every three years for people with documented hearing loss.