H. B. 4652
(By Delegates Compton, Douglas, Hubbard,
Marshall, Leach, Hatfield and Susman)
[Introduced February 24, 2000; referred to the
Committee on Banking and Insurance then Finance.]
A BILL to amend article twenty-five-a, 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 eight-e, relating to requiring a health maintenance
organization to cover subscribers for bone mineral density
scans for osteoporosis.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article twenty-five-a, 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
eight-e, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 25A. HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION ACT.
§33-25A-8e. Third-party reimbursement for bone mineral density
scan.
Notwithstanding any provision of any policy, provision, contract, plan or agreement to which this article applies, whenever
reimbursement or indemnity for laboratory or X ray services are
covered, reimbursement or indemnity shall not be denied for a bone
mineral density scan when performed and conducted for the purpose
of screening for osteoporosis in a man or a woman aged thirty-five
or older, every three years or more frequently based on the
patient's physician's recommendation. A policy, provision
contract, plan or agreement may apply to bone mineral density
scans, the same deductibles, coinsurance and other limitations as
apply to other covered services.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to make osteoporosis testing
available for HMO subscribers.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.