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Committee amends bill to strengthen pediatric hearing‑aid coverage, limits replacement frequency to three years
Summary
The committee unanimously advanced an amended Senate Bill 93 focused on pediatric hearing‑aid coverage, narrowing the bill to children, requiring adequate pediatric audiology networks, and setting a three‑year replacement interval consistent with Medicaid policy.
A Senate committee on Wednesday amended and unanimously advanced Senate Bill 93, a measure aimed at strengthening insurance coverage and network requirements for pediatric hearing aids.
Senator Karen Berg, the bill’s sponsor, told the committee the original bill included adults but the committee substitute narrows coverage to children and adds a requirement that third‑party administrators and insurers maintain pediatric audiologists in network. "The intent of this bill was really for children," Berg said, explaining the substitute removes adults from the bill while addressing network adequacy concerns.
Jennifer Hughes, identified in committee as the impetus behind the bill and who testified with her 5‑year‑old son Everett, described the family’s experience paying out of pocket for hearing aids. "When…
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