Private Health Insurers to Cover Hearing Aids Under New Maine Law

2020 brings a new law that covers hearing aids through insurance for Mainers!

According to the Portland Press Herald, that makes Maine just the fifth state to require private health insurers to cover hearing aids. The law, sponsored by Rep. James Handy in 2019, makes private health insurers cover hearing aids up to $3,000 per ear every three years.

That could affect 173,000 Mainers who have some level of hearing loss, the newspaper stated. Arkansas, Illinois, New Hampshire and Rhode Island already have this law on the books, but they all offer lower benefit amounts than Maine, according to the Press Herald.

The newspaper reported that that has made some people go against the law, including the Maine State Chamber of Commerce. Their argument is that the law will push up the cost of insurance premiums, making plans too expensive for some small businesses that provide health insurance to employees.

But Maine is the the oldest state in the country, and with an older work force comes hearing loss. This law helps thousands hear again and that is a great news.