Washington State Hearing Aid Bill 1222

The Washington State House Committee has recently passed a new bill that requires insurance coverage of prescriptive hearing aids starting January 1, 2024.

House Bill 1222 requires large, non-grandfathered Washington group health and employer plans to:

• provide coverage of no less than $3000 per ear (not subject to the deductible) with hearing loss every 36 months or 3 years.

• provide coverage for minors under 18 years of age with medical clearance.

• coverage includes the initial assessment, fitting, adjustment, auditory training, and ear molds.

If you or someone you know is interested in receiving hearing aids and unsure about their benefits, please call the Members Services phone number on the back of your insurance card to verify if your benefits are changing! Some insurance companies will find ways to avoid providing this benefit for their clients so please call your insurance provider to verify your coverage. Regardless, we hope that this legislation will greatly improve public access to hearing devices and contribute to the overall accessibility of healthcare.

For more information, please visit the Washington State Legislature website at https://leg.wa.gov/. If you’d like to schedule a hearing aid evaluation or meet with one of our Audiologists, please fill out the contact form on our website or give us a call at 206-320-5687.