SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A bill to expand coverage of hearing aids to adults in Illinois is awaiting the governor’s signature.
Previously, only people under 18 years old were covered. But the bill passed in the General Assembly would require health insurers to cover adults.
Opponents argue that the increased costs would be too much for insurers. State Representative Diane Blair-Sherlock (D-Villa Park) disagreed with that notion.
“My daughter, who’s a public school teacher, can not afford her own hearing aids, which costs me $15,000. That’s a drop in the bucket for an insurance company,” Blair-Sherlock said. “People with the hearing loss, it’s not their fault. They shouldn’t have to pay for that.”
Representative Sharon Chung (D-Bloomington) concurred, saying they’re not asking insurers to cover medically unnecessary procedures.
A similar law is in place in around 20 states.
