Florida Senate - 2018                                     SB 890
       
       
        
       By Senator Baxley
       
       
       
       
       
       12-00379A-18                                           2018890__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to insurance coverage for hearing aids
    3         for children; creating s. 627.6413, F.S.; requiring
    4         certain health insurance policies to provide hearing
    5         aid coverage for insured children; providing coverage
    6         requirements; providing applicability; providing an
    7         effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Section 627.6413, Florida Statutes, is created
   12  to read:
   13         627.6413 Coverage for hearing aids for children.—
   14         (1) A health insurance policy that provides coverage on an
   15  expense-incurred basis for a member of the family of the insured
   16  must provide health insurance benefits that include coverage for
   17  children from birth through 21 years of age for hearing aids
   18  prescribed, fitted, and dispensed by a licensed audiologist.
   19         (2) An insurer must provide a minimum coverage amount of
   20  $3,500 per ear within a 24-month period. However, if a child
   21  experiences a significant and unexpected change in his or her
   22  hearing or a medical condition requiring an unexpected change in
   23  the hearing aid before the existing 24-month period has expired,
   24  and alterations to the existing hearing aid do not or cannot
   25  meet the needs of the child, a new 24-month period shall begin
   26  with full benefits and coverage.
   27         (3) An insured is responsible for the cost of hearing aids
   28  and related services that exceed the coverage provided by his or
   29  her policy.
   30         (4) This section applies to a policy that is issued or
   31  renewed on or after January 1, 2019.
   32         Section 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2019.