Illinois Legislative Update

SB 1721 (Fine/Manley) brings Illinois into compliance with federal over the counter hearing aid guidance. This is an agreement between the Illinois Hearing Society and the Audiologists Association. SB 1721 passed the Senate unanimously on March 29, prior to being amended. It passed the House unanimously, as amended, on May 9 and the Senate concurred unanimously on May 19. Gov. Pritzker signed the bill into law on August 4. 

HB 2443 (Chung/Koehler) amends the Illinois Insurance Code to provide that an individual or group policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan provided after the amendatory Act’s effective date must provide coverage for medically necessary hearing instruments and related services for all individuals, rather than just those under age 18, when a hearing care professional prescribes a hearing instrument to augment communication. HB 2443 passed the House by a vote of 83-25-0 on March 23, prior to being amended. It passed the Senate unanimously, as amended, on May 10 and the House concurred by a vote of 86-27-0 on May 17. Gov. Pritzker signed the bill into law on August 11. 

OTC Hearing Aid Rules Released

On Tuesday, August 16, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its [final rule] regarding over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. The move will allow those with mild to moderate hearing loss to directly purchase hearing aids from retailers. After considering over 1,000 responses during the public comment period, the FDA decided to make changes to the original October 20, 2021, proposed rule, some of which aligned with Illinois & International's recommendations.  See Illinois' Jan 16th Letter to the FDA [here].

The final rule also includes performance specifications and device design requirements specific to OTC hearing aids. The effective date for the final rule is 60 days after the publication in the Federal Register, with FDA reporting it expects OTC hearing aids to be available as soon as mid-October. You may find more information on this topic on the International Hearing Society's Advocacy Page [here].