The Ohio House of Representatives advanced a Bipartisan piece of legislation that aims to require insurance providers to cover hearing aid costs for minors.
The Ohio House Insurance Committee passed the legislation 14-0 advancing it to the House floor for further consideration.
House Bill (HB) 152, known as Madeline’s Law, sponsored by State Representatives Bob Young (R-Green) and Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) aims to require health insurers to cover the cost of hearing aids for Ohioans ages 21 and younger.
Hospitals are diagnosing and treating children with hearing loss at a far younger age due to newborn hearing screening mandated by Ohio law, which has become a regular procedure in hospitals across the United States.
However, according to the lawmakers, the majority of insurance companies consider children’s hearing aids elective “cosmetic devices” and can leave a family with a bill of up to $6,000 for a pair of hearing aids, not including fittings or visits to the audiologist.
According to Representative Young, insurance providers should not consider hearing aids to be cosmetic.
“No young person should have to go without hearing aids due to a financial barrier. Having a hearing aid should not be considered cosmetic. It is an essential tool for a child’s development,” Young said.
HB 152 would require health insurers to cover up to $2,500 per individual hearing aid every 48 months for enrolled Ohioans under the age of 22. The bill also requires coverage for related services such as fittings and hearing exams.
Rep Weinstein said that it is wrong that Ohio law does not require insurance providers to cover these essential tools for children.
“I am excited to get this bipartisan bill passed. I believe it is wrong that Ohio insurers are not required to cover increasingly expensive hearing aids for kids. Every Ohio child has the right to hear, and families need our support to make that a reality,” Weinstein said.
Lawmakers originally introduced HB 152 in the 133rd General Assembly and named it after Madeline Rohlin whose parents said they struggled to afford hearing aids for their daughter due to lack of insurance coverage. Lawmakers reintroduced the legislation with Bipartisan support in the 134th General Assembly and passed out of the House Health Committee with a vote of 15 to 2 before the session ended.
According to Representative Young, he appreciates the strong bi-partisan support advancing this legislation forward.
“Madeline’s Law addresses the issue of hearing loss in children, which affects a small percentage of our population but can have a major impact on a child’s ability to communicate and learn. I appreciate the strong bipartisan support for this legislation that lowers financial barriers and increases access to early intervention services and hearing aids,” Young said.
The Ohio Academy of Audiology, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Ohio State University, Ohio Speech and Hearing Governmental Affairs Coalition, and the Cleveland Clinic are some of the supporters of HB 152. The legislation currently has no opposition.
If passed, Ohio would join the list of 25 other states that require insurance providers to cover hearing aid costs for children.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Bob Young” by The Ohio House of Representatives. Photo “Casey Weinstein” by The Ohio House of Representatives. Background Photo “Ohio Statehouse” by Ɱ. CC BY-SA 4.0.
