Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 175 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 47F the following section:-

Section 47G. Any blanket or general policy of insurance described in subdivision (A), (C), or (D) of section one hundred and ten which is issued or subsequently renewed by agreement between the insurer and the policyholder, within or without the commonwealth, during the period within which this premium is effective, or any policy of accident or sickness insurance as described in section one hundred and eight which provides hospital expense and surgical expense insurance and which is delivered or issued for delivery or subsequently renewed by agreement between the insurer and the policyholder in the commonwealth, during the period within which this provision is effective, or any employers' health and welfare fund which provides hospital expense and surgical expense benefits and which is issued or renewed to any person or group of persons in the commonwealth, during the period within which this provision is effective, shall provide benefits for the expense of residents of the commonwealth covered under any such policy or plan for the expense of cytologic screening and mammographic examination. Said benefits shall be at least equal to the following minimum requirements: (a) in the case of benefits for cytologic screening, said benefits shall provide for an annual cytologic screening for women eighteen years of age and older; and (b), in the case of benefits for mammographic examination said benefits shall provide for a baseline mammogram for women between the ages of thirty-five and forty and for a mammogram on an annual basis for woman forty years of age and older.

SECTION 2. Section 110 of said chapter 175 is hereby amended by adding after subdivision (K), inserted by section 1 of chapter 618 of the acts of 1986, the following subdivision:-

(L) Any blanket or general policy of insurance described in subdivision (A), (C) or (D) of this section, which is delivered or issued for delivery within or without the commonwealth and which covers residents of the commonwealth and any employees health and welfare fund which is promulgated or renewed to any person or group of persons in the commonwealth shall provide benefits for expense of cytologic screening and mammographic examinations which are at least equal to the following minimum requirements: (a) in the case of benefits for cytologic screening, said benefit shall provide for an annual cytologic screening for women eighteen years of age and older; and (b), in the case of benefits for mammographic examination, said benefits shall provide for a baseline mammogram for women between the ages of thirty-five and forty and for a mammogram on an annual basis for women forty years of age and older.

SECTION 3. Chapter 176A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 8I the following section:-

Section 8J. Any contract, except contracts providing supplemental coverage to medicare or other governmental programs, between a subscriber and the corporation under an individual group hospital service plan which shall be delivered, issued or renewed in the commonwealth shall provide, as a basic benefit to all individual subscribers and members within the commonwealth and to all group members having a principal place of employment within the commonwealth, for expense for cytologic screening and mammographic examination. Said benefits shall be at least equal to the following minimum requirements: (a) in the case of benefits for cytologic screening, said benefits shall provide for an annual cytologic screening for women eighteen years of age; and (b), in the case of benefits for mammographic examination, said benefits shall provide for a baseline mammogram for women between the ages of thirty-five and forty and for a mammogram on an annual basis for women forty years of age and older.

SECTION 4. Chapter 176B of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 4G. Any subscription certificate under an individual or group medical service agreement, except certificates which provide supplemental coverage to Medicare or other governmental programs, which shall be delivered or issued or renewed in the commonwealth shall provide as benefits to all individual subscribers and members within the commonwealth and to all group members having a principal place of employment within the commonwealth for expense of cytologic screening and mammographic examination. Said benefits shall be at least equal to the following minimum requirement: (a) in the case of benefits for cytologic screening, said benefits shall provide for an annual cytologic screening for women 18 years of age and older; and (b), in the case of benefits for mammographic examination said benefits shall provide for a baseline mammogram for women between the ages of thirty-five and forty and for mammogram on an annual basis for women forty years of age and older.

SECTION 5. Section 4 of chapter 176G of the General Laws, as appearing in the 1986 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following sentence:- Such health maintenance contract shall also provide coverage for cytologic screening and mammographic examination as set forth in section forty-seven G of chapter one hundred and seventy-five.