Dispute Over Whether Hearing Aids Qualify as Prosthetics Dismissed as Unripe

The Montana Workers’ Compensation Court dismissed a worker’s request for a determination of whether hearing aids qualified as prosthetics, determining that the issue was not yet ripe for adjudication. Case: Collen v. Montana State Fund, No. 2020-5324, 11/19/2021, published. Facts: Before Arend Collen retired, he suffered bilateral hearing loss. He filed an occupational disease claim with the Montana State Fund in 2019. State Fund accepted Collen's claim and notified him that his medical benefits would terminate on Aug. 31, 2023, pursuant to the 60-month rule. The rule ...