Senate Bill No. 206

(By Senator Fanning)

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[Introduced January 15, 2002; referred to the Committee

on Banking and Insurance; and then to the Committee on Finance.]

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A BILL to amend and reenact section seven, article sixteen, chapter five of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended; to amend article fifteen, chapter thirty-three of said code by adding thereto a new section, designated section four-g; to amend article sixteen of said chapter by adding thereto a new section, designated section three-p; to amend article twenty-four of said chapter by adding thereto a new section, designated section seven-g; to amend article twenty-five of said chapter by adding thereto a new section, designated section eight-f; and to amend article twenty-five-a of said chapter by adding thereto a new section, designated section eight-f, all relating to requiring health insurance policies to cover acupuncture treatment.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section seven, article sixteen, chapter five of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted; that article fifteen, chapter thirty-three of said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section four-g; that article sixteen of said chapter be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section three-p; that article twenty-four of said chapter be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section seven-g; that article twenty-five of said chapter be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section eight-f; and that article twenty-five-a of said chapter be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section eight-f, all to read as follows:
CHAPTER 5. GENERAL POWERS AND AUTHORITY OF THE GOVERNOR,

SECRETARY OF STATE AND ATTORNEY GENERAL; BOARD

OF PUBLIC WORKS; MISCELLANEOUS AGENCIES, COMMISSIONS,

OFFICES, PROGRAMS, ETC.

 ARTICLE 16. WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES INSURANCE ACT.
 §5-16-7. Authorization to establish group hospital and surgical insurance plan, group major medical insurance plan, group prescription drug plan and group life and accidental death insurance plan; rules for administration of plans; mandated benefits; what plans may provide; optional plans; separate rating for claims experience purposes.
(a) The agency shall establish a group hospital and surgical insurance plan or plans, a group prescription drug insurance plan or plans, a group major medical insurance plan or plans and a group life and accidental death insurance plan or plans for those employees herein made eligible, and to establish and promulgate rules for the administration of such plans, subject to the limitations contained in this article. Those plans shall include:
(1) Coverages and benefits for X ray and laboratory services in connection with mammograms and pap smears when performed for cancer screening or diagnostic services;
(2) Annual checkups for prostate cancer in men age fifty and over;
(3) For plans that include maternity benefits, coverage for inpatient care in a duly licensed health care facility for a mother and her newly born infant for the length of time which the attending physician deems considers medically necessary for the mother or her newly born child: Provided, That no such plan may deny payment for a mother or her new born child prior to forty-eight hours following a vaginal delivery, or prior to ninety-six hours following a caesarean section delivery, if the attending physician deems considers discharge medically inappropriate; and
(4) For plans which provide coverages for post-delivery care to a mother and her newly born child in the home, coverage for inpatient care following childbirth as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection if such inpatient care is determined to be medically necessary by the attending physician. Those plans may also include, among other things, medicines, medical equipment, prosthetic appliances and such other inpatient and outpatient services and expenses deemed considered appropriate and desirable by the agency; and
(5) Coverage and benefits for acupuncture treatment performed by an acupuncturist licensed pursuant to article thirty-six, chapter thirty of this code.
(b) The agency shall make available to each eligible employee, at full cost to the employee, the opportunity to purchase optional group life and accidental death insurance as established under the rules of the agency. In addition, each employee is entitled to have his or her spouse and dependents, as defined by the rules of the agency, included in the optional coverage, at full cost to the employee, for each eligible dependent; and with full authorization to the agency to make the optional coverage available and provide an opportunity of purchase to each employee.
(c) The finance board may cause to be separately rated for claims experience purposes: (1) All employees of the state of West Virginia; (2) all teaching and professional employees of the university of West Virginia board of trustees or the board of directors of the state college system and county boards of education; (3) all nonteaching employees of the university of West Virginia board of trustees or the board of directors of the state college system and county boards of education; or (4) any other categorization which would ensure the stability of the overall program.
CHAPTER 33. INSURANCE.
ARTICLE 15. ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE.

 §33-15-4g. Coverage for acupuncture treatment.
(a) Notwithstanding a provision of any policy, provision, contract, plan or agreement to which this article applies, any entity regulated by this article shall, on or after the first day of July, two thousand two, provide as benefits to all subscribers and members coverage for acupuncture treatment performed by an acupuncturist licensed pursuant to article thirty-six, chapter thirty of this code.
(b) A policy, provision, contract, plan or agreement may apply to acupuncture treatment the same deductibles, coinsurance and other limitations as apply to other covered services.
ARTICLE 16. GROUP ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE.

 §33-16-3p. Coverage for acupuncture treatment.
(a) Notwithstanding a provision of any policy, provision, contract, plan or agreement to which this article applies, any entity regulated by this article shall, on or after the first day of July, two thousand two, provide as benefits to all subscribers and members coverage for acupuncture treatment performed by an acupuncturist licensed pursuant to article thirty-six, chapter thirty of this code.
(b) A policy, provision, contract, plan or agreement may apply to acupuncture treatment the same deductibles, coinsurance and other limitations as apply to other covered services.
ARTICLE 24. HOSPITAL SERVICE CORPORATIONS, MEDICAL SERVICE CORPORATIONS, DENTAL SERVICE CORPORATIONS AND HEALTH SERVICE CORPORATIONS.
§33-24-7g. Coverage for acupuncture treatment.
(a) Notwithstanding a provision of any policy, provision, contract, plan or agreement to which this article applies, any entity regulated by this article shall, on or after the first day of July, two thousand two, provide as benefits to all subscribers and members coverage for acupuncture treatment performed by an acupuncturist licensed pursuant to article thirty-six, chapter thirty of this code.
(b) A policy, provision, contract, plan or agreement may apply to acupuncture treatment the same deductibles, coinsurance and other limitations as apply to other covered services.
ARTICLE 25. HEALTH CARE CORPORATIONS.

 §33-25-8f. Coverage for acupuncture treatment.
(a) Notwithstanding a provision of any policy, provision, contract, plan or agreement to which this article applies, any entity regulated by this article shall, on or after the first day of July, two thousand two, provide as benefits to all subscribers and members coverage for acupuncture treatment performed by an acupuncturist licensed pursuant to article thirty-six, chapter thirty of this code.
(b) A policy, provision, contract, plan or agreement may apply to acupuncture treatment the same deductibles, coinsurance and other limitations as apply to other covered services.
ARTICLE 25A. HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION ACT.

 §33-25A-8f. Coverage for acupuncture treatment.
(a) Notwithstanding a provision of any policy, provision, contract, plan or agreement to which this article applies, any entity regulated by this article shall, on or after the first day of July, two thousand two, provide as benefits to all subscribers and members coverage for acupuncture treatment performed by an acupuncturist licensed pursuant to article thirty-six, chapter thirty of this code.
(b) A policy, provision, contract, plan or agreement may apply to acupuncture treatment the same deductibles, coinsurance and other limitations as apply to other covered services.


NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require health insurance policies to cover acupuncture treatment.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
§33-15-4g, §33-16-3p, §33-24-7g, §33-25-8f and §33-25A-8f are new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.