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Panel urges inclusion of licensed hearing‑aid dispensers in adult hearing‑aid coverage law
Summary
Witnesses told the committee HB 13‑55 corrects a drafting omission that left licensed hearing‑aid dispensers out of last year’s insurance coverage requirement; dispensers urged lawmakers to harmonize state and federal terminology so patients retain provider choice.
Delegate Theresa Riley told the committee House Bill 13-55 would require certain health plans to cover medically appropriate and necessary hearing aids for adults when ordered, fitted and dispensed by either a licensed audiologist or a licensed hearing‑aid dispenser.
Witnesses said Maryland’s regulatory language and recent Food and Drug Administration changes created confusion about whether hearing‑aid dispensers could continue to order and fit prescription hearing aids. Anthony Hagedorn and Mike Canary, second‑generation hearing‑aid dispensers and small business owners, told the committee the bill corrects an omission: statute changed in 2023 to permit dispensers to order prescription hearing aids, but a 2024 coverage law had listed only audiologists for the purpose of coverage. They said harmonizing the language will preserve patient choice and continued access to providers who have long performed testing and fittings.
Witnesses described the dispensers’ scope of practice — audiometric air, bone and speech testing and device selection and fitting — and urged the committee to adopt the clarifying change so insurers would not inadvertently restrict coverage to audiologists only. Committee members asked whether dispensers perform the necessary audiological testing; witnesses confirmed within their scope they carry out the testing required to evaluate hearing and fit devices.
The committee concluded testimony and did not take a final vote during the hearing. Supporters requested the committee return the bill with a favorable report so the statutory language aligns with FDA terminology and licensing practice.
