SB 1494 Hawaii Senate · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO HEARING AIDS.

Summary

Requires health insurance policies and contracts issued on or after 1/1/2026 to provide optional coverage for the cost of hearing aids at a minimum $1,500 per hearing aid for each hearing-impaired ear every thirty-six months. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD2)

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics: Insurance

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 22, 2025 Last action Mar 12, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

SB1494_SD1 → SB1494_SD2 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reformatted and renumbered from Senate Bill 1494, Session 1 (SD1) to Session 2 (SD2), with several substantive policy clarifications and additions. The most significant change is the addition of a new subsection (d) to Section 2, which explicitly allows insurers to provide optional coverage that is greater or more favorable than the minimum required benefits. Additionally, Section 4 was amended to clarify that the new hearing aid coverage benefits apply to health maintenance organization (HMO) policies issued on or after January 1, 2026, and the effective date of the Act was set to July 1, 2050.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded by clarifying that insurers may voluntarily offer coverage exceeding the minimum requirements, and the applicability to HMOs was explicitly confirmed in the statutory amendments.

REQUIREMENT

Added subsection (d) to Section 2, explicitly permitting insurers to provide optional hearing aid coverage that is greater or more favorable than the minimum $1,500 benefit requirement.

TIMELINE

Set the effective date of the Act to July 1, 2050, significantly later than the January 1, 2026 start date for policy issuance mentioned in the coverage requirements.

DEFINITION

Added Section 5 to clarify that the new hearing aid coverage benefits apply to health maintenance organization (HMO) policies issued on or after January 1, 2026.

TECHNICAL

Removed metadata headers, page numbers, and document identifiers from the original SD1 version, replacing them with SD2 formatting and metadata.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 4, 2025

How they voted

25–0

Passed

Total votes 25

Mar 4, 2025

D Democratic22

22 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican3

3 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 6, 2025

Committee

Referred to HLT, CPC, FIN, referral sheet 19

lower

Mar 4, 2025

Introduced

Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 353) in amended form (SD 2).

lower

Mar 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.

upper

Feb 20, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on CPN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in CPN were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Keohokalole, Fukunaga, McKelvey, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Richards.

upper

Feb 14, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on CPN will hold a public decision making on 02-20-25 9:30AM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.

upper

Feb 11, 2025

Committee

Reported from HHS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 271) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to CPN.

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HHS were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, Aquino, Hashimoto, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Keohokalole.

upper

Jan 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HHS has scheduled a public hearing on 02-03-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 27, 2025

Committee

Referred to HHS, CPN.

upper

Jan 23, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and passed First Reading.

upper

Jan 22, 2025

Introduced

Pending Introduction.

upper

6 primary · 1 co-sponsor