§ 27-18-60 - Hearing aids. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 27-18-60

   § 27-18-60  Hearing aids. – (a) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual orgroup hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policydelivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state on or after January 1,2006, shall provide coverage for one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) perindividual hearing aid, per ear, every three (3) years for anyone under the ageof nineteen (19) years, and shall provide coverage for seven hundred dollars($700) per individual hearing aid, per ear, every three (3) years for anyone ofthe age of nineteen (19) years and older.

   (2) Every group health insurance contract or group hospitalor medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issuedfor delivery, or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2006, shallprovide, as an optional rider, additional hearing aid coverage. Provided, theprovisions of this paragraph shall not apply to contracts, plans, or grouppolicies subject to the small employer health insurance availability act,chapter 50 of this title.

   (b) For the purposes of this section:

   (1) "Hearing aid" means any nonexperimental, wearableinstrument or device designed for the ear and offered for the purpose of aidingor compensating for impaired human hearing, but excluding batteries, cords, andother assistive listening devices, including, but not limited to FM systems.

   (c) It shall remain within the sole discretion of theaccident and sickness insurer as to the provider of hearing aids with whichthey choose to contract. Reimbursement shall be provided according to therespective principles and policies of the accident and sickness insurer.Nothing contained in this section precludes the accident and sickness insurerfrom conducting managed care, medical necessity, or utilization review.

   (d) This section does not apply to insurance coverageproviding benefits for: (1) hospital confinement indemnity; (2) disabilityincome; (3) accident only; (4) long term care; (5) Medicare supplement; (6)limited benefit health; (7) specified diseased indemnity; (8) sickness ofbodily injury or death by accident or both; (9) and other limited benefitpolicies.