PRINTER'S NO. 535
No. 517 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY SCHWARTZ, MELLOW, WAGNER, TARTAGLIONE, LAVALLE,
COSTA, KITCHEN, HUGHES, STOUT, KUKOVICH, STACK, LOGAN, MUSTO,
KASUNIC, BODACK AND O'PAKE, FEBRUARY 15, 2001
REFERRED TO BANKING AND INSURANCE, FEBRUARY 15, 2001
AN ACT
1 Providing for health insurance coverage of children's hearing
2 aids; and conferring powers and duties on the Department of
3 Health.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Children's
8 Hearing Aid Insurance Act.
9 Section 2. Definitions.
10 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12 context clearly indicates otherwise:
13 "Health insurance policy." Any health insurance policy,
14 contract or plan, whether individual or group, which provides
15 medical coverage on an expense incurred, service or prepaid
16 basis. The term includes the following:
17 (1) A health insurance policy or contract issued by a
18 nonprofit corporation subject to 40 Pa.C.S. Chs. 61 (relating
1 to hospital plan corporations) and 63 (relating to
2 professional health services plan corporations) and the act
3 of December 14, 1992 (P.L.835, No.134), known as the
4 Fraternal Benefit Societies Code.
5 (2) A health service plan operating under the act of
6 December 29, 1972 (P.L.1701, No.364), known as the Health
7 Maintenance Organization Act.
8 (3) An employee welfare benefit plan as defined in
9 section 3 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
10 1974 (Public Law 93-406, 88 Stat. 829).
11 Section 3. Hearing aids for children.
12 A health insurance policy which is delivered, issued for
13 delivery, renewed, extended or modified in this Commonwealth by
14 a health care insurer shall provide that the health insurance
15 benefits applicable under the policy include coverage for
16 hearing aids for children under 18 years of age.
17 Section 4. Delivery of policy.
18 If a health insurance policy provides coverage or benefits to
19 a resident of this Commonwealth, it shall be deemed to be
20 delivered in this Commonwealth within the meaning of this act,
21 regardless of whether the health care insurer issuing or
22 delivering said policy is located within or outside this
23 Commonwealth.
24 Section 5. Application of act.
25 This act shall apply to all insurance policies, subscriber
26 contracts and group insurance certificates issued under any
27 group master policy, delivered or issued for delivery on or
28 after the effective date of this act. This act shall also apply
29 to all renewals of contracts on any renewal date which is on or
30 after the effective date of this act.
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1 Section 6. Effective date.
2 This act shall take effect in 180 days.
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