AN ACT PROVIDING EQUITABLE COVERAGE OF SERVICES UNDER HEALTH PLANS.
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 47V the following section:-
Section 47W. (a) Any individual policy of accident and sickness insurance issued pursuant to section 108 and any group blanket policy of accident and sickness insurance issued pursuant to section 110 that is delivered, issued or renewed within or without the commonwealth and that provides benefits for outpatient services shall provide hormone replacement therapy services for peri and post menopausal women and outpatient contraceptive services under the same terms and conditions as for such other outpatient services. Outpatient contraceptive services shall mean consultations, examinations, procedures and medical services provided on an outpatient basis and related to the use of all contraceptive methods to prevent pregnancy that have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
(b) Any individual policy of accident and sickness insurance issued pursuant to section 108 and any group blanket policy of accident and sickness insurance issued pursuant to section 110 that is delivered, issued or renewed within or without the commonwealth and that provides benefits for outpatient prescription drugs and devices shall provide benefits for hormone replacement therapy for peri and post menopausal women and for outpatient prescription contraceptive drugs or devices which have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration under the same terms and conditions as for such other prescription drugs or devices, provided that in covering all FDA approved prescription contraceptive methods, nothing in this section precludes the use of closed or restricted formulary.
(c) This section shall not apply to an individual policy of accident and sickness insurance delivered, issued or renewed pursuant to section 108 or any group blanket policy of accident and sickness insurance delivered, issued or renewed pursuant to section 110 if that policy is purchased by an employer that is a church or qualified church-controlled organization, as those terms are defined in 26 U.S.C. section 3121(w)(3)(A) and (B).
SECTION 2. Chapter 176A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 8V the following section:-
Section 8W. (a) Any contract between a subscriber and the corporation under an individual or group hospital service plan that is delivered, issued or renewed within or without the commonwealth and that provides benefits for outpatient services shall provide to all individual subscribers and members within the commonwealth and to all group members having a principal place of employment within the commonwealth hormone replacement therapy services for peri and post menopausal women and outpatient contraceptive services under the same terms and conditions as for such other outpatient services. Outpatient contraceptive services shall mean consultations, examinations, procedures and medical services provided on an outpatient basis and related to the use of all contraceptive methods to prevent pregnancy that have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
(b) Any contract between a subscriber and the corporation under an individual or group hospital service plan that is delivered, issued or renewed within or without the commonwealth and that provides benefits for outpatient prescription drugs or devices shall provide to all individual subscribers and members within the commonwealth and to all group members having a principal place of employment within the commonwealth benefits for hormone replacement therapy for peri and post menopausal women and for outpatient prescription contraceptive drugs or devices which have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration under the same terms and conditions as for such other prescription drugs or devices, provided that in covering all FDA approved prescription contraceptive methods, nothing in this section precludes the use of closed or restricted formulary.
(c) This section shall not apply to a contract between a subscriber and the corporation delivered, issued or renewed pursuant to this chapter if the contract is purchased by a subscriber that is a church or qualified church-controlled organization, as those terms are defined in 26 U.S.C. section 3121(w)(3)(A) and (B).
SECTION 3. Chapter 176B of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 4V the following section:-
Section 4W. (a) Any subscription certificate under an individual or group medical service agreement that is delivered, issued or renewed within or without the commonwealth and that provides benefits for outpatient services shall provide to all individual subscribers and members within the commonwealth and to all group members having a principal place of employment within the commonwealth benefits for hormone replacement therapy services for peri and post menopausal women and outpatient contraceptive services under the same terms and conditions as for such other outpatient services. Outpatient contraceptive services shall mean consultations, examinations, procedures and medical services provided on an outpatient basis and related to the use of all contraceptive methods to prevent pregnancy that have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
(b) Any subscription certificate under an individual or group medical service agreement that is delivered, issued or renewed within or without the commonwealth and that provides benefits for outpatient prescription drugs or devices shall provide to all individual subscribers and members within the commonwealth and to all group members having a principal place of employment within the commonwealth benefits for hormone replacement therapy for peri and post menopausal women and for outpatient prescription contraceptive drugs or devices which have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration under the same terms and conditions as for such other prescription drugs or devices, provided that in covering all FDA approved prescription contraceptive methods, nothing in this section precludes the use of closed or restricted formulary.
(c) This section shall not apply to a subscription certificate under an individual or group medical service agreement delivered, issued or renewed under this chapter if that subscription certificate is purchased by an employer that is a church or qualified church-controlled organization, as those terms are defined in 26 U.S.C. section 3121(w)(3)(A) and (B).
SECTION 4. Chapter 176G of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 4N the following section:-
Section 4O. (a) Any individual or group health maintenance contract that is issued, renewed or delivered within or without the commonwealth and that provides benefits for outpatient services shall provide to residents of the commonwealth and to persons having a principal place of employment within the commonwealth benefits for hormone replacement therapy services for peri and post menopausal women and outpatient contraceptive services under the same terms and conditions as for such other outpatient services. Outpatient contraceptive services shall mean consultations, examinations, procedures and medical services provided on an outpatient basis and related to the use of all contraceptive methods to prevent pregnancy that have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
(b) Any individual or group health maintenance contract that is issued, renewed or delivered within or without the commonwealth and that provides benefits for outpatient prescription drugs or devices shall provide to residents of the commonwealth and to persons having a principal place of employment within the commonwealth benefits for hormone replacement therapy for peri and post menopausal women and for outpatient prescription contraceptive drugs or devices that have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration under the same terms and conditions as for such other prescription drugs or devices, provided that in covering all FDA approved prescription contraceptive methods, nothing in this section precludes the use of closed or restricted formulary.
(c) The requirements of this section shall not apply to a health maintenance contract delivered, issued or renewed pursuant to this chapter if that contract is purchased by an employer that is a church or qualified church-controlled organization, as those terms are defined in 26 U.S.C. section 3121(w)(3)(A) and (B).
SECTION 5. This act shall apply to all policies, contracts, plans and certificates of insurance issued or delivered within the commonwealth on or after January 1, 2003, and to all policies, contracts, agreements, plans and certificates of insurance in effect before that date upon renewal on or after January 1, 2003.