Noting that health insurers have a responsibility to provide coverage for necessary health care expenses, New Jersey’s Acting Governor Richard J. Codey signed legislation which will require all state-regulated health insurers to cover the cost of medically-necessary hearing aids for children 15 years old and younger.

“With today’s bill signing, we are making sure that the gift of hearing is not out-of-reach for New Jersey children living with hearing loss,” said Acting Governor Codey. “No child should be without access to medically-necessary hearing aids, which are especially critical in the formative years when kids develop the skills to speak and communicate. This new law is about guaranteeing children a level playing field to succeed, and build the skills they need to do well in life.”

The bill, S-467 / A-1571, known as “Grace’s Law,” will require all health insurers in New Jersey to provide coverage for medically-necessary hearing aids for children 15 years of age and younger. The bill requires insurers to provide this coverage every 24 months, and provide up to $1,000 per hearing aid. Under the bill, a covered individual could opt for a hearing aid priced higher than the maximum payable benefit, but would have to pay the difference.

Article appeared in PolitickerNJ.com, By CNoel, December 30, 2008. For the complete article, http://www.politickernj.com/cnoel/26287/acting-governor-codey-signs-graces-law-provide-insurance-coverage-childrens-hearing-aids

For more background on the almost nine years of hard work that went into passage of this law, visit: www.graceslaw.com .

For information about hearing aid insurance coverage in other states, visit
http://www.hearingloss.org/advocacy/govtassistance.asp

1. Blue Cross/Blue Shield is adding hearing aids for adults up to $1,000 per ear, every 3 years in both options.
2. APWU is adding a new benefit with one exam and testing every 2 years paid at 90 percent of PPO allowance or 70 percent of allowance for non-PPO. Hearing aids every three years limited to $1,500 maximum.
3. Mail Handlers, which already provided benefits of $200 per hearing aid per ear, is increasing the amount to $500, with replacement available every five years.
4. GEHA is adding a new benefit with a maximum of $500 per ear, every five years.
5. Panama Canal is adding a new benefit with a $1,000 lifetime maximum.
6. Foreign Service is adding a new benefit of 100 percent coverage, up to a maximum of $1,200 per aid per ear per person and hearing exam, once every five years.
7. Rural Carriers is adding a new benefit up to $1,100 per hearing aid per ear once every five years.
8. The Association is changing their hearing benefit coinsurance from 10 percent to 0 percent and will cover up to a maximum of $1,400 for one hearing aid per ear.
9. Samba is adding hearing benefits up to $500 per lifetime for hearing aids.
10. NALC is providing a lifetime maximum of $1,000 for hearing aids
11. Health Alliance is adding a new benefit at a maximum of $500 for hearing aids/devices once every three years.