(1) Every accident and health insurer, hospital or medical service corporation, or health maintenance organization transacting accident and health insurance or providing health coverage in the State of Arkansas, which delivers or issues for delivery or renews, extends, or modifies accident and medical coverage on an expense-incurred service or prepaid basis, shall provide coverage for the necessary care and treatment of loss or impairment of speech or hearing, subject to the same durational limits, dollar limits, deductibles, and coinsurance factors as other covered services in the policies or contracts.
(2) This section does not apply to disability income, specified disease, hospital indemnity, or accident-only policies.
(3) The phrase “loss or impairment of speech or hearing” shall include those communicative disorders generally treated by a speech pathologist or audiologist licensed by the Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and which fall within the scope of his or her area of certification.
(4) The additional coverage provided for in this section shall not apply to hearing instruments or devices.