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Panel backs bill requiring insurers to cover hearing aids for children and high‑school students
Summary
The committee recommended House Bill 2125 for a due pass after testimony that early access to hearing aids improves language and education outcomes; the measure drew support from parents, educators and audiologists and passed 11–1.
The committee approved House Bill 2125, which would require health-care services organizations to provide coverage for hearing aids and related services for enrollees under age 18 — or under 21 if still attending high school.
Sponsor Representative Willoughby emphasized the developmental and mental-health harms of failing to identify and treat childhood hearing loss, citing research that early amplification can change a child’s educational trajectory and reduce later anxiety and depression. "If children don't receive access to hearing by the age between 5 and 7, that part of the brain actually atrophies and dies," Willoughby said.
Dr. Kathleen Peterson, an audiologist and past president of the Arizona Speech Language Hearing Association, testified in support and described the scale and cost: a reasonable price range for hearing aids in Arizona is $2,500 to $6,000 per hearing aid; for bilateral loss the family cost can double, and devices require replacement every three to five years. She said gaps in private insurance benefit structures create inequities and that early access improves language and school outcomes.
After questions and supportive remarks from several members, the committee approved the bill 11 ayes and 1 nay. Representative Pingarelli cast the lone no vote, citing opposition to mandating private-insurance coverage.
