Beginning on January 1st, a new law known as HB 1339 – recently approved by the Maryland General Assembly and endorsed by Governor Wes Moore—will expand coverage to include adults. This law mandates that insurers, HMOs, and nonprofit health service organizations provide a certain level of coverage for hearing aids for adults.
Under the current legal framework in Maryland, health insurance providers are not obligated to cover hearing aids for adults. However, there are regulations in place that require fully insured health plans, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and nonprofit health service plans to cover hearing aids for children when they are prescribed.
The coverage will be capped at $1,400 per hearing aid for each ear, and beneficiaries will be eligible to utilize this benefit once every three years (36 months), aligning it with the existing provisions for children’s hearing aids.
Should an individual wish to purchase a higher-end hearing aid, they have the option to do so and will only need to cover the additional expense themselves, without facing penalties from their provider. Furthermore, while insurance companies have the option to exceed the $1,400 limit, they are not required to do so under this legislation.