In a news release Thursday, District 54 State Rep. Edward Lindsey, R-Atlanta, who represents part of Buckhead, announced he recently introduced two new bills to be brought up for debate during the 2013 General Assembly.

The legislation includes two separate bills about new requirements for insurance plans to cover the costs of hearing aids for children and prescribed special dietary foods or formulas relating to chronic medical conditions.

“These two common sense measures will simply require that necessary medical assistance be provided to Georgia’s patients, both children and adults,” Lindsey said. “These types of statutes will have an instant impact on those Georgians needing the service and the communities who support them. Each of these bills reflects my approach to not only serve the constituents in State House District 54, but the state of Georgia as a whole. ”

House Bill 74, the Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Act, establishes a requirement for every health benefit policy executed within the state by Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgins past July 1 to provide, replace and maintain coverage for one hearing aid per impaired ear for people 22 and under. Twenty states across the country have already enacted legislation similar to the proposed bill. If this bill becomes law, it will allow Georgia to reduce costs to the state sprung from special education, alternative treatments to hearing aids and other costs associated with unassisted hearing impairment.

House Bill 73, the Medical Food Equity Act, creates a requirement for every health benefit policy executed within the state by the insurance commissioner after July 1 to provide coverage for physician-prescribed special dietary foods or formulas for specific medical conditions. Thirty-three other states have legislation in place for private health benefit policy providers concerning medical food and formula for those who suffer from specific metabolic conditions or from any metabolic illness.