AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES .

Youth hearing-aid coverage rises; adult mandate ends

For people under 19, required hearing aid coverage rises from $1,500 to $1,750 per ear every three years. The law removes the prior requirement for $700 per ear every three years for people 19 and older. These changes apply to policies delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in Rhode Island beginning January 1, 2026. They cover individual and group health insurance, nonprofit hospital and medical service plans, and health maintenance organizations. Insurers may offer group plans an optional rider for extra hearing aid coverage and decide its scope. That rider option excludes plans subject to the Small Employer Health Insurance Availability Act. Covered hearing aids must be nonexperimental, wearable devices designed for the ear; batteries, cords, and other listening devices are excluded. Insurers retain control over provider selection, reimbursement policies, medical-need checks, and use reviews. The requirements exclude hospital confinement indemnity, disability income, accident-only, long-term care, Medicare supplement, specified-disease indemnity, and other limited-benefit policies. The act itself takes effect upon passage.