Senate Bill No. 558
(By Senator Jones)
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[Introduced March 22, 1993; referred to the Committee
on Banking and Insurance.]
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A BILL to amend article six, chapter thirty-three of the code of
West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section
ten-a, relating to insurance coverage for mental or
emotional injury.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article six, chapter thirty-three of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be
amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section ten-
a, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 6. THE INSURANCE POLICY.
§33-6-10a. Insurance coverage for emotional or mental injury or
harm.
Every policy of health or accident and sickness insurance
issued in this state shall provide coverage for emotional or
mental injury or harm to sexually abused children and dependents,
and emotional or mental injury or harm shall occupy the samestatus for purposes of coverage as any physical injury, disease
or illness. Any treatment or services rendered to any insured as
a result of emotional or mental injury or harm, including the
treatment or services of a psychologist or social worker, shall
result in payment to the person or entity providing the treatment
or services, or the insured, in accordance with the terms of the
policy.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require every policy
of health or accident and sickness insurance issued in this state
to provide coverage for emotional or mental injury or harm.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.