121st Maine Legislature
		Office of Fiscal and Program Review
		LD 1087
		An Act To Require All Health Insurers To Cover the Costs of Hearing Aids
		LR 0989(02)
		Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
		Committee: Insurance and Financial Services
		Fiscal Note Required: Yes
		Minority Report
Fiscal Note
					Projections	Projections
			2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07
Net Cost (Savings)
	General Fund		$0	$57,168	$256,113	$286,847
	Highway Fund		$0	$22,508	$100,835	$112,935
	Fund for a Healthy Maine		$0	$177	$794	$889
Appropriations/Allocations
	General Fund		$0	$57,168	$256,113	$286,847
	Highway Fund		$0	$22,508	$100,835	$112,935
	Fund for a Healthy Maine		$0	$177	$794	$889
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	These estimates assume that adding hearing aid coverage to persons age 21 and under will increase premium costs by 0.4% for the state employee health plan effective with the contract beginning April 1, 2005.  The additional employer costs across all funds to the state employee health insurance program will be $124,839 in fiscal year 2004-05, $559,281 in fiscal year 2005-06 and $626,395 in fiscal year 2006-07.
	General Fund appropriations of $57,168, Highway Fund allocations of $22,508 and Fund for a Healthy Maine allocations of $177 in fiscal year 2004-05 are required to be set aside in the salary plan reserve accounts to fund the increases for General Fund, Highway Fund and Fund for a Healthy Maine employees.  The costs for employees paid by other funds, estimated to be $44,986, may require increased allotments to meet these additional personal services expenditures.
	Any additional costs to the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation in implementing this legislation can be absorbed by the Department within existing resources.  This fiscal note does not reflect the additional costs to the private insurance market as a result of this legislation.