1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to health insurance; mandating coverage for audiological rehabilitation 
1.3 	counseling; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 62Q.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. [62Q.528] AUDIOLOGICAL REHABILITATION COUNSELING.
1.6 	A health plan must cover audiological rehabilitation counseling provided by an 
1.7 	audiologist to a person for hearing loss. Coverage required under this section includes up 
1.8 	to three hours of education per year for a person with hearing loss about communication 
1.9 	strategies, visual and tactile alerting devices, and nonprescription technology that could 
1.10 	mitigate the person's hearing loss. No special deductible, coinsurance, co-payment, or 
1.11 	other limitation on the coverage under this section that is not generally applicable to other 
1.12 	coverages under the health plan may be imposed.

1.13 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective January 1, 2017, and applies to health 
1.14 	plans issued or renewed on or after that date.