HB2156: Health insurance; mandated coverage for evaluations of brain tumors.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 38.2-4319 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 38.2-3418.15 as follows:
§ 38.2-3418.15. Coverage for evaluations of brain tumors.
A. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 38.2-3419, each insurer proposing to issue individual or group accident and sickness insurance policies providing hospital, medical and surgical, or major medical coverage on an expense incurred basis; each corporation providing individual or group accident and sickness subscription contracts; and each health maintenance organization providing a healthcare plan for healthcare services shall provide coverage for a second opinion evaluation, at a medical center designated by the National Cancer Institute as a comprehensive cancer center, of a brain tumor that has been diagnosed as a primary malignant brain tumor.
B. No insurer, corporation, or health maintenance organization shall impose upon any person receiving benefits pursuant to this section any copayment, fee, policy year or calendar year, or durational benefit limitation or maximum for benefits or services that is not equally imposed upon all individuals in the same benefit category.
C. The requirements of this section shall apply to all insurance policies, contracts, and plans delivered, issued for delivery, reissued, or extended in the Commonwealth on and after January 1, 2008, or at any time thereafter when any term of the policy, contract, or plan is changed or any premium adjustment is made.
D. This section shall not apply to short-term travel, accident-only, limited or specified disease, or individual conversion policies or contracts, or to policies or contracts designed for issuance to persons eligible for coverage under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, known as Medicare, or any other similar coverage under state or federal governmental plans.
§ 38.2-4319. Statutory construction and relationship to other laws.
A. No provisions of this title except this chapter and,
insofar as they are not inconsistent with this chapter, §§ 38.2-100, 38.2-136,
38.2-200, 38.2-203, 38.2-209 through 38.2-213, 38.2-216, 38.2-218 through
38.2-225, 38.2-229, 38.2-232, 38.2-305, 38.2-316, 38.2-322, 38.2-400, 38.2-402
through 38.2-413, 38.2-500 through 38.2-515, 38.2-600 through 38.2-620, Chapter
9 (§ 38.2-900 et seq.), §§ 38.2-1017 through 38.2-1023, 38.2-1057, Article 2 (§
38.2-1306.2 et seq.), § 38.2-1315.1, Articles 3.1 (§ 38.2-1316.1 et seq.), 4 (§
38.2-1317 et seq.) and 5 (§ 38.2-1322 et seq.) of Chapter 13, Articles 1 (§
38.2-1400 et seq.) and 2 (§ 38.2-1412 et seq.) of Chapter 14, §§ 38.2-1800
through 38.2-1836, 38.2-3401, 38.2-3405, 38.2-3405.1, 38.2-3407.2 through
38.2-3407.6:1, 38.2-3407.9 through 38.2-3407.16, 38.2-3411.2, 38.2-3411.3,
38.2-3411.4, 38.2-3412.1:01, 38.2-3414.1, 38.2-3418.1 through 38.2-3418.14 38.2-3418.15, 38.2-3419.1, 38.2-3430.1 through
38.2-3437, 38.2-3500, subdivision 13 of § 38.2-3503, subdivision 8 of §
38.2-3504, §§ 38.2-3514.1, 38.2-3514.2, 38.2-3522.1 through 38.2-3523.4,
38.2-3525, 38.2-3540.1, 38.2-3542, 38.2-3543.2, Article 5 (§ 38.2-3551 et seq.)
of Chapter 35, Chapter 52 (§ 38.2-5200 et seq.), Chapter 55 (§ 38.2-5500 et
seq.), Chapter 58 (§ 38.2-5800 et seq.) and § 38.2-5903 of this title shall be
applicable to any health maintenance organization granted a license under this
chapter. This chapter shall not apply to an insurer or health services plan
licensed and regulated in conformance with the insurance laws or Chapter 42 (§
38.2-4200 et seq.) of this title except with respect to the activities of its
health maintenance organization.
B. For plans administered by the Department of Medical Assistance Services that provide benefits pursuant to Title XIX or Title XXI of the Social Security Act, as amended, no provisions of this title except this chapter and, insofar as they are not inconsistent with this chapter, §§ 38.2-100, 38.2-136, 38.2-200, 38.2-203, 38.2-209 through 38.2-213, 38.2-216, 38.2-218 through 38.2-225, 38.2-229, 38.2-232, 38.2-322, 38.2-400, 38.2-402 through 38.2-413, 38.2-500 through 38.2-515, 38.2-600 through 38.2-620, Chapter 9 (§ 38.2-900 et seq.), §§ 38.2-1017 through 38.2-1023, 38.2-1057, Article 2 (§ 38.2-1306.2 et seq.), § 38.2-1315.1, Articles 3.1 (§ 38.2-1316.1 et seq.), 4 (§ 38.2-1317 et seq.) and 5 (§ 38.2-1322 et seq.) of Chapter 13, Articles 1 (§ 38.2-1400 et seq.) and 2 (§ 38.2-1412 et seq.) of Chapter 14, §§ 38.2-3401, 38.2-3405, 38.2-3407.2 through 38.2-3407.5, 38.2-3407.6 through 38.2-3407.6:1, 38.2-3407.9 through 38.2-3407.09:02, subdivisions 1, 2, and 3 of subsection F of § 38.2-3407.10, 38.2-3407.11, 38.2-3407.11:3, 38.2-3407.13 through 38.2-3407.14, 38.2-3411.2, 38.2-3418.1, 38.2-3418.2, 38.2-3419.1, 38.2-3430.1 through 38.2-3437, 38.2-3500, subdivision 13 of § 38.2-3503, subdivision 8 of § 38.2-3504, §§ 38.2-3514.1, 38.2-3514.2, 38.2-3522.1 through 38.2-3523.4, 38.2-3525, 38.2-3540.1, 38.2-3542, 38.2-3543.2, Chapter 52 (§ 38.2-5200 et seq.), Chapter 55 (§ 38.2-5500 et seq.), Chapter 58 (§ 38.2-5800 et seq.) and § 38.2-5903 shall be applicable to any health maintenance organization granted a license under this chapter. This chapter shall not apply to an insurer or health services plan licensed and regulated in conformance with the insurance laws or Chapter 42 (§ 38.2-4200 et seq.) of this title except with respect to the activities of its health maintenance organization.
C. Solicitation of enrollees by a licensed health maintenance organization or by its representatives shall not be construed to violate any provisions of law relating to solicitation or advertising by health professionals.
D. A licensed health maintenance organization shall not be deemed to be engaged in the unlawful practice of medicine. All health care providers associated with a health maintenance organization shall be subject to all provisions of law.
E. Notwithstanding the definition of an eligible employee as set forth in § 38.2-3431, a health maintenance organization providing health care plans pursuant to § 38.2-3431 shall not be required to offer coverage to or accept applications from an employee who does not reside within the health maintenance organization's service area.
F. For purposes of applying this section, "insurer" when used in a section cited in subsections A and B of this section shall be construed to mean and include "health maintenance organizations" unless the section cited clearly applies to health maintenance organizations without such construction.