17:48-6gg Hospital service corporation to provide coverage for hearing aids for certain persons aged 15 or younger.

2. A hospital service corporation contract that provides hospital and medical expense benefits and is delivered, issued, executed or renewed in this State pursuant to P.L.1938, c.366 (C.17:48-1 et seq.), or approved for issuance or renewal in this State by the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance, on or after the effective date of this act, shall provide coverage for medically necessary expenses incurred in the purchase of a hearing aid for a covered person 15 years of age or younger, as provided in this section.

A hospital service corporation contract shall provide coverage that includes the purchase of a hearing aid for each ear, when medically necessary and as prescribed or recommended by a licensed physician or audiologist. A hospital service corporation may limit the benefit provided in this section to $1,000 per hearing aid for each hearing-impaired ear every 24 months. A covered person may choose a hearing aid that is priced higher than the benefit payable under this section and may pay the difference between the price of the hearing aid and the benefit payable under this section, without financial or contractual penalty to the provider of the hearing aid.

The benefits shall be provided to the same extent as for any other condition under the contract.

This section shall apply to those hospital service corporation contracts in which the hospital service corporation has reserved the right to change the premium.

L.2008, c.126, s.2.