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SCR 151

REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO ASSESS THE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF MANDATING HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR HEARING AIDS.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Joy San Buenaventura

Hawaii SCR 151 directs the Auditor to study social and financial effects of mandating hearing-aid coverage under S.B.1494 (min $1,500 per ear every 36 months) to guide policy.

Referred to HHS, WAM.
#auditortoassesseffects #hearingaids
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Bill Summary · SCR 151

Summary: SCR 151 – Auditor’s Assessment of mandating hearing aid coverage

Overview

SCR 151 is a concurrent resolution in the Hawaii Legislature directing the state Auditor to conduct a social and financial assessment of mandating health insurance coverage for hearing aids, specifically as proposed in S.B. No. 1494 (Regular Session 2025). The resolution references the statutory requirement that, before considering a mandated health-service coverage measure, the Auditor prepare a report on social and financial effects. The Auditor’s findings are due no later than 20 days before the 2026 Regular Session convenes.

Background and Context

  • Hearing loss is common among older adults, with substantial prevalence cited by sources such as the NIH.
  • Hearing aids can be expensive (e.g., $3,000+ per device), and coverage in Hawaii varies, often leaving patients with copays.
  • Past efforts to mandate coverage have included:
    • S.B. 309 (2014) and related SCRs, which prompted Auditor assessments but lacked defined coverage parameters.
    • Auditor Report No. 14-10 (2014) noted missing coverage parameters (e.g., replacement frequency and costs).
    • S.B. 2439 (2022) proposed a minimum coverage of $1,500 per hearing aid per ear every 36 months; SCR 61 (2022) requested an updated Auditor assessment; the Auditor paused work at the Legislature’s request.
  • S.B. 1494 (2025) introduces specific coverage parameters (minimum $1,500 per hearing-impaired ear every 36 months). SCR 151 thus requests an updated Auditor analysis aligned with these proposed parameters.

What SCR 151 Requires

  • The Auditor shall conduct a social and financial assessment of mandating health insurance coverage for hearing aids as proposed in S.B. 1494.
  • The assessment must address:
    1. The number of state residents in the target population affected by hearing loss, using national prevalence data to gauge impact.
    2. Current standards for replacement frequency and cost limits for the coverage benefit, by researching Medicare, Medicaid, Hawaii private plans, and individuals requiring hearing aids.
    3. Whether replacement standards differ for adults vs. minors.
    4. Existing medically necessary standards of care used to determine appropriate hearing aids for individuals.
    5. Current and potential future hearing aid technology.
  • The Auditor must adhere to this concurrent resolution’s directive and complete the report with findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation or updates to prior Report No. 14-10.
  • The report is due to the Legislature no later than 20 days before the 2026 Regular Session convenes.
  • Certified copies of the resolution must be transmitted to the Auditor and the Insurance Commissioner.

Timeline and Procedural Details

  • Introduced: March 7, 2025.
  • Legislative action thus far: Referred to HHS and WAM (March 12, 2025).
  • Status: Concurrent resolution moving through standard committee review.
  • Required deliverable: Auditor’s findings and recommendations prior to the 2026 Regular Session.

Stakeholders and Potential Impact

  • Affected groups: Hawaii residents with hearing loss (including both adults and minors) and their families.
  • Insurers and health plans operating in Hawaii (potential changes to premium structures and coverage policies).
  • Hearing aid manufacturers and providers (market implications and access considerations).
  • Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities and advocacy groups (access to devices and associated social benefits).
  • State regulators (Insurance Commissioner) who administer coverage requirements.

Relationship to Related Legislation

  • Companion/SR bill: SR 121 (companion).
  • Context: Builds on prior Auditor assessments and evolving debates over mandated hearing aid coverage, including S.B. 1494’s proposed minimum benefits.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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