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Session of 2026
HOUSE BILL No. 2677
By Representative Howe
2-4
AN ACT concerning insurance; relating to health insurance coverage;
mandating health insurance policies to provide coverage and payment
for hearing aids for children under the age of 18; providing for an
exemption for such coverage.
WHEREAS, Private insurance benefits for children's hearing aids will
ultimately provide long term savings by decreasing the need for special
education services and increasing academic success; and
WHEREAS, In the long term, the implementation of this act would
allow those impacted to become more competitive in the workforce and
less dependent on public assistance; and
WHEREAS, The Legislature finds and declares that a child impacted
by hearing loss can have the ability to develop and improve oral language
by the consistent use of a hearing aid.
Now, therefore,
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. (a) As used in this section:
(1) "Health insurance plan" means a plan that includes dependent
coverage for an insured child and is delivered, issued for delivery,
renewed, extended or modified in Kansas. "Health insurance plan"
includes any such group or individual sickness and accident insurance
policy, health maintenance organization contract, subscriber contract,
employee medical, surgical or hospital care benefit plan, self-funded
employee benefit plan or any policy, contract or plan offered or
administered by the state."Health insurance plan" does not include a group
health plan offered by a small employer or a policy providing coverage for
a specified disease, accident-only coverage, hospital indemnity coverage,
disability income coverage, Medicare supplement coverage, long-term
care coverage or other limited-benefit coverage.
(2) "Hearing aid" means an ear level or bone conduction hearing
device intended to aid or improve the sense of hearing for a person with a
hearing impairment. "Hearing aid" includes all parts, replacement parts,
parts for repair, tubing and ear molds.
(3) "Hearing impairment" means a hearing impairment diagnosed by
an otolaryngologist with an auditory assessment completed by a licensed
audiologist.
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HB 2677 2
(4) "Insured child" means an individual who is covered by a health
insurance plan and less than 19 years of age.
(b) On and after January 1, 2027, any health insurance plan delivered,
issued for delivery, renewed, extended or modified in Kansas shall provide
coverage for a hearing aid to each insured child. Such coverage shall
include, for each ear affected by a hearing impairment, the following items
and services:
(1) A hearing aid purchased from a licensed audiologist with medical
clearance from an otolaryngologist and costs related to dispensing such
hearing aid;
(2) evaluation for a hearing aid;
(3) programming of a hearing aid;
(4) probe microphone measurements for verification that hearing aid
gain and output meet the prescribed target;
(5) hearing aid repairs;
(6) follow-up adjustments, servicing and maintenance of a hearing
aid;
(7) ear molds;
(8) ear impressions; and
(9) auditory rehabilitation and training.
(c) The items and services listed in subsection (b) shall be covered on
a continual basis to the extent that benefits paid for such items and services
during the immediately preceding 48-month period has not exceeded
$5,000.
(d) Coverage pursuant to this section shall allow for the replacement
of a hearing aid and the associated services within three months of the
dispensing date if the hearing aid gain and output fail to meet prescribed
targets or such hearing aid is unable to be repaired or adjusted. If an
insured child uses a hearing aid on the effective date of this act and such
hearing aid has been deemed unrepairable or obsolete by the manufacturer
of the device, the insured child shall be eligible to use the benefits required
by this act toward the acquisition of a new hearing aid, parts and
associated services.
(e) Coverage provided to an insured child pursuant to this section
shall be subject to the same deductible, copayment and coinsurance as
similar covered items and services under the health insurance plan.
(f) A health insurance plan shall not refuse or deny coverage, refuse
to renew or reissue coverage or terminate coverage based on the hearing
impairment of an individual who is under the age of 18.
Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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