We are at a pivotal point for SB 331. The final budget hearing on whether funding for the coverage of pediatric hearing care is fast approaching on June 30th. We need as much support issued for the bill to ensure it gets safe passage to law after passing the Senate.
SUMMARY
SB 331, the Let California Kids Hear (LCKH) Act of 2026, requires large group health plans in California to cover hearing aids and services for children under 21, addressing a developmental emergency.
PROBLEM
Experts agree that pediatric hearing loss is considered a developmental emergency requiring timely intervention to prevent permanent delays.1 These preventable consequences are not only devastating for the child and family; they are costly to society. Since private health insurance plans are not required to cover hearing aids for kids, only about 9% of enrollees aged 0-20 in California have some coverage.2 The lack of comprehensive coverage can make care unaffordable for a lot and leave some children without access to hearing aids and services that support their development.
BACKGROUND
More than 35 states already require some level of pediatric hearing aid coverage. Thirty states have mandates in their private markets, 29 states include hearing aids in their state exchange Essential Health Benefits, and 24 states cover children’s hearing aids in both markets.3 Yet, California is behind on this coverage.
In 2019, the Legislature unanimously passed AB 598 (Bloom) to establish commercial insurance coverage for children’s hearing aids. Instead of signing the mandate, the Administration pursued a government-administered alternative through the Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program (HACCP). The program was launched by the Department of Health Care Services on July 1, 2021. However, the ongoing and persistent issue with this program is that a limited number of hearing aids are distributed, and the cost of administering the program is higher than the cost of services delivered.
California has allocated more than $30 million to HACCP while serving fewer than 300 children.5 Direct service funding has remained largely unspent, provider participation remains limited, administrative barriers persist, and thousands of California
children still lack meaningful access to care.
In 2023, the Legislature again passed SB 635 (Menjivar) with bipartisan support, requiring commercial insurance coverage for pediatric hearing aids. That bill was vetoed due to concerns regarding potential state defrayal exposure associated with a wider Essential Health Benefits benchmark expansion that included children in the exchange market.
In 2025, California sought to address this issue through a broader Essential Health Benefits benchmark update championed by AB 224 (Bonta, Chapter 680, Statutes of 2025) and SB 62 (Menjivar, Chapter 739, Statutes of 2025), which included hearing aid coverage and other benefits. However, evolving federal rules and expanded defrayal exposure have stalled that effort.
SOLUTION
SB 331, the LCKH Act, would mandate coverage in large group health plans to ensure that children receive timely access to pediatric hearing aids. This will, in turn, lessen the burden on HACCP to focus on serving children outside the large-group health market.
This bill would reduce barriers to time-sensitive care and provide the treatment needed for the thousands of California families currently without affordable coverage for their child’s hearing aids. Coverage of hearing aids by health insurance plans is a permanent solution that provides timely treatment of pediatric hearing loss.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
ACTION 1 – NOW
☎️ CALL TODAY – Governor Newsom: (916) 445-2841
Please say:
“Please include pediatric hearing aids in the final California budget. This proposal will help more children while saving taxpayer dollars by transitioning coverage to health plans from a state program that never reached most eligible children.” and share any personal thoughts on the matter.
ACTION 2 — BEFORE JUNE 20
Send an email to Kimberly Fuentes (Kimberly.Fuentes@sen.ca.gov) and cc’ing stu@hearinglossca.org and michelle.m.marciniak@gmail.com, with: “I support SB 331.”
ACTION 3 — FORMAL LETTER OF SUPPORT (BEFORE JUNE 15)
Official support letters are requested no later than Friday, June 19, to be included in the committee analysis. Given the short timeline, we strongly encourage organizations to submit letters as soon as possible.
Please submit support letters through the California Legislature Advocates Portal:
https://calegislation.lc.ca.
Send a letter of support to your representatives and the Governor.
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