Today, acting Governor Codey will be publically signing bill S-467 / A-1571 (Grace’s Law), which requires health insures, State Health Benefits Programs, and NJ FamilyCare to provide coverage for hearing aids for covered persons 15 and younger. Assemblyman Jerry Green is one of the co-sponsors of this bill. The signing will take place on Tuesday, December 30 at 11:30am at the State House in the Governor’s Outer Office.
The bill is outlined at follows:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as “Grace’s Law.”
2. A hospital service corporation contract that provides hospital and medical expense benefits and is delivered, issued, executed or renewed in this State pursuant to P.L. 1938, c.366 (C.17:48-1 et seq.), or approved for issuance or renewal in this State by the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance, on or after the effective date of this act, shall provide coverage for medically necessary expenses incurred in the purchase of a hearing aid for a covered person 15 years of age or younger, as provided in this section.
A hospital service corporation contract shall provide coverage that includes the purchase of a hearing aid for each ear, when medically necessary and as prescribed or recommended by a licensed physician or audiologist. A hospital service corporation may limit the benefit provided in this section to $1,000 per hearing aid for each hearing-impaired ear every 24 months. A covered person may choose a hearing aid that is priced higher than the benefit payable under this section and may pay the difference between the price of the hearing aid and the benefit payable under this section, without financial or contractual penalty to the provider of the hearing aid.
The benefits shall be provided to the same extent as for any other condition under the contract.
This section shall apply to those hospital service corporation contracts in which the hospital service corporation has reserved the right to change the premium.
3. A medical service corporation contract that provides hospital and medical expense benefits and is delivered, issued, executed or renewed in this State pursuant to P.L. 1940, c.17:48A-1 et seq.), or approved for issuance or renewal in this State by the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance, on or after the effective date of this act, shall provide coverage for medically necessary expenses incurred in the purchase of a hearing aid for a covered person 15 years of age or younger, as provided in this section.
A medical service corporation contract shall provide coverage that includes the purchase of a hearing aid for each ear, when medically necessary and as prescribed or recommended by a licensed physician or audiologist. A medical service corporation may limit the benefit provided in this section to $1,000 per hearing aid for each hearing-impaired ear every 24 months. A covered person may choose a hearing aid that is priced higher than the benefit payable under this section and may pay the difference between the price of the hearing aid and the benefit payable under this section, without financial or contractual penalty to the provider of the hearing aid.
The benefits shall be provided to the same extent as for any other condition under the contract.
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