Did you know?
15% of South Carolina's population has some form of hearing loss.
Current consumer protection action
South Carolina HB 3515: This measure removes licensure requirements for various professions
Summary: This measure removes licensure requirements for various professions.
This measure repeals the licensure requirements for:
- Hair braiding practitioners.
- Dietitians.
- Psychologists.
- Social Workers.
- Speech Pathologists and Audiologists.
- Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Licensed Psycho-Educational Specialists.
The measure also repeals the ban on public school districts hiring uncertified teachers.
This measure takes effect immediately upon enactment.
Status: 1st Chamber
Outlook: The South Carolina Legislature has adjourned.
Bills in South Carolina carry over from odd-numbered to even-numbered years. This measure may be considered in the 2024 legislative session, which is expected to convene on January 9, 2024.
South Carolina SB 119: This measure requires all health insurance and group benefit health plans to cover hearing aids
Summary: This measure requires all health insurance and group benefit health plans in South Carolina to cover hearing aids and replacement hearing aids for insured individuals with impaired hearing.
All health insurance plans must provide all insured individuals aged twenty-six and younger coverage for the billed charges of one hearing aid per impaired ear, without exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars per hearing aid for each covered individual.
A health insurance plan may not deny or refuse coverage on, refuse to contract with, refuse to reissue, or restrict coverage to a person solely because the individual was previously diagnosed with hearing loss. This measure outlines details of this coverage including hearing aid replacements for each impaired ear every forty-eight months, the option for insured individuals to see any licensed audiologist or hearing aid dealer or dispenser in the State, etc.
This measure takes effect on July 1, 2023.
Status: 1st Chamber
Outlook: The South Carolina Legislature has adjourned.
Bills in South Carolina carry over from odd-numberedto even-numbered years. This measure may be considered in the 2024 legislative session, which is expected to convene on January 9, 2024.
Past consumer protection action
January 14, 2022. NAAG Responds to FDA’s Comment Request on New Over-The-Counter Hearing Aid Rules
“In response to a request for comments from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding new rules regulating over-the-counter hearing aids, NAAG submitted comments encouraging the FDA to take the below steps to ensure that states maintain a role as regulators in this emerging market.”
April 15, 2021. Attorney General Alan Wilson cautions consumers about misleading sales tactics used by some over-the-counter hearing aid companies.
“Until the FDA finalizes their regulations on over-the-counter hearing aids, South Carolina consumers, especially seniors and military veterans, need to be mindful of unlawful and misleading products on the market,” Attorney General Wilson states. “We are seeing more and more companies attempt to sell hearing aids over-the-counter that use the FDA logo or claim to be ‘FDA-registered,’ even though this new category of hearing aids has not been approved by the FDA.”
Latest 2023 legislative news
HB 3840. Sponsor: Rep. Shannon Erickson (R)
This bill enters the state into the Audiology and Speech-Language Interstate Compact.
This measure is applicable to audiologists and speech-language pathologists.
SB 1136. Sponsor: Senator Dwight Loftis (R)
This measure establishes the “Audiology and Speech-Language Interstate Compact” to increase and improve public access to audiology and speech-pathology services.
This measure applies to licensed audiologists and speech-language pathologist.
This measure takes effect immediately.