HB 607: Provide for the hearing aid coverage act - Montana

HB0607_1(12).pdf → HB0607_X(10).pdf · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends Montana's health insurance laws to require coverage for hearing loss treatment for individuals of all ages, expanding the previous requirement which only applied to children. It also updates provisions regarding continued group insurance coverage for retirees, judges, and legislators, clarifying eligibility criteria and premium payment responsibilities.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of mandatory hearing loss coverage from children only to all ages.

REQUIREMENT

Added a mandatory requirement for health insurance plans to cover treatment for children with hearing loss, referencing existing statutes 33-22-128(1) and (2).

Added a requirement that judges who remain in the group plan must pay the full premium for themselves and their dependents.

ELIGIBILITY

Revised the introductory text to reflect that hearing loss coverage is now required for all ages rather than just children.

Updated eligibility rules for surviving children to remain in group plans, adding conditions about surviving parents or legal guardians.

Clarified that former judges cannot remain in the group plan if they become eligible for Medicare.

Reorganized and clarified the conditions under which judges, legislators, and retirees can continue group coverage after leaving office.

HB0607_X(9).pdf → HB0607_1(12).pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from HB 607 to HB 607.1 and its title was updated to reflect that it now requires hearing loss coverage for all ages, whereas the previous version specified coverage only for children. The substantive text of the bill remains unchanged, as the modifications are limited to formatting, line numbers, and the descriptive title.

Scope change

The scope of the hearing loss coverage requirement was expanded from applying only to children to applying to all ages, as indicated by the change in the bill's title.

SCOPE

The bill's title was updated to clarify that hearing loss coverage is now required for all ages, not just children.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was changed from HB 607 to HB 607.1, and line numbers were added to the text.

The text was reformatted to include line numbers and adjust spacing, but the underlying legal content remains identical.

HB0607_1(11).pdf → HB0607_X(9).pdf · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates the state's health insurance law to require coverage for hearing loss for individuals of all ages, whereas previous laws only mandated coverage for children. It also clarifies rules for retirees and judges regarding continued group health plan membership and adds requirements for out-of-state mail-order pharmacies to match local pricing.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of mandatory health insurance coverage by extending hearing loss treatment requirements from children to all ages.

REQUIREMENT

Requires all health insurance plans to cover treatment for hearing loss for individuals of all ages, removing the previous age restriction that limited this coverage to children.

Mandates that health plans allow members to obtain prescription drugs from out-of-state mail-order pharmacies if a Montana pharmacy can match the price without financial penalty to the member.

Formally codifies existing requirements for fertility preservation services and therapies for Down syndrome within the mandatory coverage list.

ELIGIBILITY

Reorganized and clarified the rules for legislators and judges who leave office, specifying conditions under which they can remain in the state group health plan and restrictions on rejoining after termination.

HB0607_X(8).pdf → HB0607_1(11).pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was renumbered and formatted for a new legislative session, and the title was updated to HB 607.1. The substantive policy content regarding mandatory health insurance coverage for hearing loss remains unchanged in this draft.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability are unchanged; this version represents a renumbered draft of the same legislation.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was updated from HB 607 to HB 607.1 to reflect its status as a new version or amendment.

Line numbers and spacing were adjusted to conform to the formatting standards of the 69th Legislature.

The introductory title was slightly rephrased to explicitly state the bill is 'introduced by' the listed sponsors.

HB0607_X(2).pdf → HB0607_X(3).pdf · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill text shows a minor formatting adjustment where a line break was removed from the summary of changes, merging the section references into a single continuous line. No substantive policy, eligibility, funding, or procedural changes were made in this specific excerpt.

Scope change

No change in scope or applicability; the text remains identical in meaning.

TECHNICAL

Removed a line break in the legislative summary to improve formatting consistency.

HB0607_1(10).pdf → HB0607_X(2).pdf · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends Montana's health insurance laws to require coverage for hearing loss treatment for all ages, expanding a previous mandate that only applied to children. It also updates provisions regarding continued group insurance coverage for retirees, judges, and legislators, clarifying eligibility and premium payment requirements.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of mandatory hearing loss coverage from children only to all ages.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new mandate requiring health insurance plans to cover treatment for hearing loss for all ages, whereas the previous law only required coverage for children.

Added specific requirements for insurance plans to allow members to obtain prescription drugs from in-state pharmacies that match out-of-state mail-order pharmacy prices without financial penalty to the member.

Updated the list of mandatory coverage items to include fertility preservation services alongside existing mandates for inborn errors of metabolism and Down syndrome therapies.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified the rules for former judges and legislators to remain in state group health plans, clarifying that they can continue coverage if they pay full premiums and do not have other equivalent coverage or Medicare.

HB0607_X(1).pdf → HB0607_1(7).pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was renumbered to HB 607.1 and its title was updated to explicitly state that hearing loss coverage applies to all ages, not just children. The core text of the bill remains largely unchanged, with the primary substantive shift being the clarification of eligibility scope in the title.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded in its description to include hearing loss coverage for all ages, whereas the previous version specified coverage only for children.

SCOPE

The bill title was changed to clarify that hearing loss coverage requirements apply to all ages, removing the previous limitation to children.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was updated from HB 607 to HB 607.1 to reflect its status as an amended version.

HB0607_1(6).pdf → HB0607_X.pdf · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends Montana's health insurance laws to require coverage for hearing loss treatment for all ages, expanding a previous mandate that only applied to children. It also updates provisions regarding continued group membership for retirees, judges, and legislators, clarifying eligibility rules and premium payment requirements.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of mandatory hearing loss coverage from children only to all ages.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement for all health insurance plans to cover treatment for hearing loss for individuals of all ages, whereas the law previously only required coverage for children.

Updated the requirement for premium payments for individuals electing to remain in group plans to explicitly include costs for covered dependents.

Refined the rules for out-of-state mail service pharmacies, requiring them to be registered in the state as foreign corporations and mandating that in-state pharmacies match their prices without penalizing members.

ELIGIBILITY

Reorganized and clarified the rules for former legislators and judges to remain in state group health plans, including new restrictions on rejoining the plan after termination and specific conditions regarding Medicare eligibility.

LC2218.pdf → HB0607_1.pdf · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill text was updated from a committee version (LC 2218) to the official House Bill 607 format, including a new list of sponsors. The substantive policy content regarding mandatory health insurance coverage for hearing loss and other benefits remains identical to the previous version.

Scope change

None; the scope and applicability of the bill are unchanged.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill header to reflect the official House Bill number (HB 607) and added the full list of sponsors who introduced the bill.

Provide for the hearing aid coverage act

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