9. A health maintenance organization contract for health care services that is delivered, issued, executed or renewed in this State pursuant to P.L.1973, c.337 (C. 26:2J-1 et seq.), or approved for issuance or renewal in this State by the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance, on or after the effective date of this act, shall provide health care services for medically necessary expenses incurred in the purchase of a hearing aid for an enrollee 15 years of age or younger, as provided in this section.

The health care services shall include the purchase of a hearing aid for each ear, when medically necessary and as prescribed or recommended by a licensed physician or audiologist. A health maintenance organization may limit the health care services provided in this section to $1,000 per hearing aid for each hearing-impaired ear every 24 months. An enrollee may choose a hearing aid that is priced higher than the health care services payable under this section and may pay the difference between the price of the hearing aid and the health care services payable under this section, without financial or contractual penalty to the provider of the hearing aid.

The health care services shall be provided to the same extent as for any other condition under the contract.

This section shall apply to those contracts for health care services under which the right to change the schedule of charges for enrollee coverage is reserved.

L.2008, c.126, s.9.