514C.22 Biologically based mental illness coverage. 1. Notwithstanding the uniformity of treatment requirements of section 514C.6, a group policy, contract, or plan providing for third-party payment or prepayment of health, medical,and surgical coverage benefits issued by a carrier, as defined in section 513B.2, shall providecoverage benefits for treatment of a biologically based mental illness if either of the followingis satisfied: a. The policy, contract, or plan is issued to an employer who on at least fifty percent of the employer’s working days during the preceding calendar year employed more than fiftyfull-time equivalent employees. In determining the number of full-time equivalent employeesof an employer, employers who are affiliated or who are able to file a consolidated tax returnfor purposes of state taxation shall be considered one employer. b. The policy, contract, or plan is issued to a small employer as defined in section 513B.2, and such policy, contract, or plan provides coverage benefits for the treatment of mentalillness. 2. Notwithstanding the uniformity of treatment requirements of section 514C.6, a plan established pursuant to chapter 509A for public an provides coverage benefits for the treatment of mentalillness. 2. Notwithstanding the uniformity of treatment requirements of section 514C.6, a plan established pursuant to chapter 509A for public employees shall provide coverage benefitsfor treatment of a biologically based mental illness. 3. For purposes of this section, 'biologically based mental illness' means the following psychiatric illnesses: a. Schizophrenia.b. Bipolar disorders.c. Major depressive disorders.d. Schizo-affective disorders.e. Obsessive-compulsive disorders.f. Pervasive developmental disorders. g. Autistic disorders.4. The commissioner, by rule, shall define the biologically based mental illnesses identified in subsection 3. Definitions established by the commissioner shall be consistentwith definitions provided in the most recent edition of the American psychiatric association’sdiagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, as such definitions may be amendedfrom time to time. The commissioner may adopt the definitions provided in such manual byreference. 5. This section shall not apply to accident-only, specified disease, short-term hospital or medical, hospital confinement indemnity, credit, adopt the definitions provided in such manual byreference. 5. This section shall not apply to accident-only, specified disease, short-term hospital or medical, hospital confinement indemnity, credit, dental, vision, Medicare supplement,long-term care, basic hospital and medical-surgical expense coverage as defined by thecommissioner, disability income insurance coverage, coverage issued as a supplement toliability insurance, workers’ compensation or similar insurance, or automobile medicalpayment insurance, or individual accident and sickness policies issued to individuals or toindividual members of a member association. 6. A carrier or plan established pursuant to chapter 509A may manage the benefits provided through common methods, including but not limited to providing payment ofbenefits or providing care and treatment under a capitated payment system, prospectivereimbursement rate system, utilization control system, incentive system for the use of leastrestrictive and least costly levels of care, a preferred provider contract limiting choice ofspecific providers, or any other system, method, or organization designed to assure servicesare medically necessary and clinically stly levels of care, a preferred provider contract limiting choice ofspecific providers, or any other system, method, or organization designed to assure servicesare medically necessary and clinically appropriate. 7. a. A group policy, contract, or plan covered under this section shall not impose an aggregate annual or lifetime limit on biologically based mental illness coverage benefitsunless the policy, contract, or plan imposes an aggregate annual or lifetime limit onsubstantially all health, medical, and surgical coverage benefits. b. A group policy, contract, or plan covered under this section that imposes an aggregate annual or lifetime limit on substantially all health, medical, and surgical coverage benefitsshall not impose an aggregate annual or lifetime limit on biologically based mental illnesscoverage benefits that is less than the aggregate annual or lifetime limit imposed onsubstantially all health, medical, and surgical coverage benefits. Sat Dec 23 00:45:11 2023 Iowa Code 2024, Section 514C.22 (20, 0) §514C.22, SPECIAL HEALTH AND ACCIDENT INSURANCE COVERAGES 2 8. A group policy, contract, or plan covered under this section shall at a minimum allow for thirty Iowa Code 2024, Section 514C.22 (20, 0) §514C.22, SPECIAL HEALTH AND ACCIDENT INSURANCE COVERAGES 2 8. A group policy, contract, or plan covered under this section shall at a minimum allow for thirty inpatient days and fifty-two outpatient visits annually. The policy, contract, or plan mayalso include deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments, provided the amounts and extent ofsuch deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments applicable to other health, medical, or surgicalservices coverage under the policy, contract, or plan are the same. It is not a violation of thissection if the policy, contract, or plan excludes entirely from coverage benefits for the cost ofproviding the following: a. Marital, family, educational, developmental, or training services.b. Care that is substantially custodial in nature.c. Services and supplies that are not medically necessary or clinically appropriate.d. Experimental treatments.9. This section applies to third-party payment provider policies or contracts and to plans established pursuant to chapter 509A that are delivered, issued for delivery, continued, orrenewed in this state on or after January 1, 2006. party payment provider policies or contracts and to plans established pursuant to chapter 509A that are delivered, issued for delivery, continued, orrenewed in this state on or after January 1, 2006. 2005 Acts, ch 91, §1; 2017 Acts, ch 148, §75, 76Referred to in §135H.3, 514C.28 Sat Dec 23 00:45:11 2023 Iowa Code 2024, Section 514C.22 (20, 0)
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