,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #edhe  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #ah1       
#bjai,mr4 ,neguse 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,thompson of ,california1 and ,mr4      
,mc,kinley7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce  ,a 
,,bill  ,to amend title ,,xxvii of the  
,public ,health ,service ,act and the   
,patient ,protection and ,affordable    
,care ,act to require coverage of       
hearing devices and systems in certain  
private health insurance plans1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as ,ally's ,act4  #b4 
,coverage of hearing devices and systems
 in certain private health insurance    
plans  7a7 ,in general ,part ,a of the  
,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #cjj;gg et seq47 is amended by
 inserting after section #bgac the      
following new section3  #bgac;,a4       
,coverage of hearing devices and systems
  7a7 ,in general ,beginning with plan  

years beginning on or after ,january #a1
 #bjba1 a group health plan and a health
 insurance issuer offering group or     
individual health insurance coverage    
shall1 at a minimum provide coverage for
 and may impose cost-sharing            
requirements in accordance with         
subsection 7b7 for an individual that a 
physician 7as defined in section        
#ahfa7r7 of the ,social ,security ,act7 
or qualified audiologist 7as defined in 
section #ahfa7ll77#d77;,b7 of such ,act7
 determines meets an indication         
7including unilateral or bilateral      
hearing loss7 for an auditory device as 
approved by the ,food and ,drug         
,administration for--  7#a7 auditory    
implant devices 7including auditory     
osseointegrated 7bone conduction7       
implants and cochlear implants7 and     
external sound processors2  7#b7 the    
maintenance of auditory implant devices 
and external sound processors described 
in paragraph 7#a72  7#c7 every #e years1
 the upgrade 7or replacement if an      

upgrade is not available7 of auditory   
implant devices and external sound      
processors described in paragraph 7#a72 
7#d7 adhesive adapters and softband     
headbands2  7#e7 the repair of auditory 
implant devices and external sound      
processors described in paragraph 7#a72 
7#f7 a comprehensive hearing assessment2
  7#g7 a preoperative medical           
assessment2  7#h7 surgery 7as           
appropriate72  7#i7 postoperative       
medical appointments for purposes of    
ensuring appropriate recovery from      
surgery2  7#aj7 postoperative           
audiological appointments for activation
 and fitting of the implant device and  
external sound processor2 and  7#aa7    
aural rehabilitation and treatment      
services 7as appropriate74  7b7         
,cost-,sharing ,beginning with plan     
years beginning on or after ,january #a1
 #bjba1 the cost-sharing incurred under 
a plan or coverage described in         
subsection 7a7--  7#a7 for an auditory  
implant device and external sound       

processors under this section1 shall not
 exceed a dollar amount that is the     
highest cost-sharing requirement for the
 amount of the charges imposed for such 
device that is provided by a physician  
or qualified audiologist that has a     
contractual relationship with such plan 
or coverage for the providing of such   
device2  7#b7 for an item or service    
under this section1 shall not exceed a  
dollar amount that is imposed for       
similar items and services under that   
plan that are provided by a physician or
 qualified audiologist2 and  7#c7 that  
has a contractual relationship with such
 plan or coverage for the providing of  
such items and services4  4  7b7        
,application to grandfathered health    
plans ,section #abea7;a77#d77;,a7 of the
 ,patient ,protection and ,affordable   
,care ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4               
#ahjaa7;a77#d77;,a77 is amended--  7#a7 
by striking title and inserting title1  
or as added after the date of the       
enactment of this ,act72 and  7#b7 by   

adding at the end the following new     
clause3  7v7 ,section #bgac;,a 7relating
 to hearing devices and systems74  4    
7#c7 ,effective date ,the amendments    
made by this subsection shall apply with
 respect to plan years beginning on or  
after ,january #a1 #bjba4