A Washington State law, referred to as Hugo’s Law, will require group health plans to provide coverage for hearing instruments as well as the assessment needed to access them starting on January 1, 2024.

The coverage must include the hearing instruments, initial assessment, fitting, adjustment, auditory training, and earmolds, as necessary, to maintain optimal fit.
The coverage also extends to enrollees who intend to obtain or have already obtained any hearing instrument, including over the counter hearing instruments.

Hugo’s Law will also increase the required coverage for hearing instruments to no less than $3000 per ear with hearing loss every three years.
California is following in Washington’s footsteps, with a similar bill on Governor Newsom’s desk.
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This expansion in coverage is groundbreaking in many ways; it recognizes that hearing healthcare requires both access to state of the art hearing technology as well as the expertise and professional services of hearing healthcare providers, such as audiologists and hearing instrument specialists. Tuned applauds Washington, and soon California, in recognizing the gap in hearing healthcare accessibility and affordability.
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Tuned is proud to be the first, and only, benefit designed to bring hearing health to everyone. With a network of over 200 audiologists, a diverse lineup of prescription and over the counter hearing aids, an occupational hearing conservation program, and a novel pediatric program, Tuned is well positioned to meet the needs of Washington State, California, and beyond.

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