HB 1670 — An Act amending the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), known as The Insurance Company Law of 1921, in casualty insurance, further providing for hearing aid coverage.

PRINTER'S NO.     2038

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1670
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY HANBIDGE, HOHENSTEIN, HILL-EVANS, PIELLI, SANCHEZ,
        McNEILL, GIRAL, BRENNAN, GUENST, SCHLOSSBERG, FIEDLER, KHAN,
        CIRESI, SHUSTERMAN, FREEMAN, O'MARA, OTTEN, WEBSTER, DEASY,
        CERRATO, GREEN AND MEHAFFIE, JUNE 25, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGING AND OLDER ADULT SERVICES,
        JUNE 25, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), entitled "An
 2      act relating to insurance; amending, revising, and
 3      consolidating the law providing for the incorporation of
 4      insurance companies, and the regulation, supervision, and
 5      protection of home and foreign insurance companies, Lloyds
 6      associations, reciprocal and inter-insurance exchanges, and
 7      fire insurance rating bureaus, and the regulation and
 8      supervision of insurance carried by such companies,
 9      associations, and exchanges, including insurance carried by
10      the State Workmen's Insurance Fund; providing penalties; and
11      repealing existing laws," in casualty insurance, further
12      providing for hearing aid coverage.
13      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
14   hereby enacts as follows:
15      Section 1.    Section 635 of the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682,
16   No.284), known as The Insurance Company Law of 1921, is amended
17   to read:
18      Section 635.    Hearing Aid Coverage.--(a)   Any insurer that
19   underwrites Medicare or Medicaid insurance for insureds residing
20   in this Commonwealth shall provide coverage in such insurance
21   for a hearing aid sold in accordance with section 403 of the act
 1   of November 24, 1976 (P.L.1182, No.262), known as the "Hearing
 2   Aid Sales Registration Law."
 3      (b)    A health insurance policy or government program shall
 4   provide coverage for a hearing aid sold in accordance with
 5   section 403 of the "Hearing Aid Sales Registration Law," subject
 6   to any applicable copay, coinsurance or deductible.
 7      (c)    The health insurance policy shall make available,
 8   starting with the first year of enrollment and every three years
 9   thereafter, no less than a two thousand five hundred dollar
10   benefit toward coverage for a hearing aid. The benefit may be
11   used by the insured with either:
12      (1)    an entity in the business of selling hearing aids; or
13      (2)    a fitter that is contracted with the health insurance
14   policy.
15      (d)    As used in this section:
16      (1)    "Business of selling hearing aids" means as defined in
17   section 103 of the "Hearing Aid Sales Registration Law."
18      (2)    "Fitter" means as defined in section 103 of the "Hearing
19   Aid Sales Registration Law."
20      (3)    "Government program" includes the following:
21      (i)    The Commonwealth's medical assistance program
22   established under Subarticle (f) of Article IV of the act of
23   June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the "Human Services
24   Code."
25      (ii)    The Children's Health Insurance Program established
26   under Article XXIII-A of this act.
27      (4)    "Health insurance policy" means a policy, subscriber
28   contract, certificate or plan issued by an insurer that provides
29   medical or health care coverage. The term does not include any
30   of the following policies:

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 1      (i)    Accident only.
 2      (ii)    Credit only.
 3      (iii)    Long-term care or disability income.
 4      (iv)    Specified disease.
 5      (v)    Medicare supplement.
 6      (vi)    TRICARE, including a Civilian Health and Medical
 7   Program of the Uniformed Services supplement.
 8      (vii)    Fixed indemnity.
 9      (viii)       Dental only.
10      (ix)    Vision only.
11      (x)    Workers' compensation.
12      (xi)    Automobile medical payment insurance.
13      (xii)    Hospital indemnity.
14      (xiii)       Limited benefit.
15      (5)    "Insurer" means an entity licensed by the Insurance
16   Department that offers, issues or renews an individual or group
17   health insurance policy that is offered or governed under any of
18   the following:
19      (i)    This act, including section 630 and Article XXIV.
20      (ii)    The act of December 29, 1972 (P.L.1701, No.364), known
21   as the "Health Maintenance Organization Act."
22      (iii)    40 Pa.C.S. Ch. 61 (relating to hospital plan
23   corporations) or 63 (relating to professional health services
24   plan corporations).
25      Section 2.       This act shall apply as follows:
26             (1)    For health insurance policies for which either rates
27      or forms are required to be filed with the Federal Government
28      or the Insurance Department, this act shall apply to any
29      policy for which a form or rate is first filed on or after
30      the effective date of this section.

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1         (2)   For health insurance policies for which neither
2     rates nor forms are required to be filed with the Federal
3     Government or the Insurance Department, this act shall apply
4     to any policy issued or renewed on or after 180 days after
5     the effective date of this section.
6     Section 3.    This act shall take effect in 90 days.




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