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(03)
		Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
		Committee: Insurance and Financial Services
		Fiscal Note Required: Yes
		Majority Report
Fiscal Note
					Projections	Projections
			2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07
Net Cost (Savings)
	General Fund		$0	$7,146	$32,014	$35,856
	Highway Fund		$0	$2,813	$12,604	$14,117
Appropriations/Allocations
	General Fund		$0	$7,146	$32,014	$35,856
	Highway Fund		$0	$2,813	$12,604	$14,117
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	Adding hearing aid coverage to persons age 18 and under with a limit of $1,400 per hearing aid for each hearing-impaired ear every 36 months will increase premium costs by 0.05% 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 $15,605 in fiscal year 2004-05, $69,910 in fiscal year 2005-06 and $78,299 in fiscal year 2006-07.
	General Fund appropriations of $7,146 and Highway Fund allocations of $2,813 in fiscal year 2004-05 are included in the bill for the salary plan reserve accounts to fund the increases for General Fund and Highway Fund employees.  The costs for employees paid by other funds, including a small amount for the Fund for a Healthy Maine, is estimated to be $5,646 and may require increased allotments as recommended by the State Budget Officer and approved by the Governor.
	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.