Bill Text: CA SB374 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Enrolled

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Health insurance: discriminatory practices: mental health.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2017-07-31 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 162, Statutes of 2017. [SB374 Detail]

Download: California-2017-SB374-Enrolled.html

Enrolled  July 14, 2017
Passed  IN  Senate  July 13, 2017
Passed  IN  Assembly  July 06, 2017
Amended  IN  Assembly  June 12, 2017
Amended  IN  Senate  April 03, 2017

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill No. 374


Introduced by Senator Newman

February 14, 2017


An act to add Section 10144.4 to the Insurance Code, relating to health insurance.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 374, Newman. Health insurance: discriminatory practices: mental health.
Existing federal law generally requires a health insurance issuer that offers group or individual health insurance coverage that provides both medical and surgical benefits and mental health or substance use disorder benefits to establish parity in the terms and conditions applicable to medical and mental health benefits, as specified. Existing state law subjects nongrandfathered individual and small group health insurance policies that provide coverage for essential health benefits to those provisions of federal law governing mental health parity. Existing law requires every policy of disability insurance that covers hospital, medical, or surgical expenses in this state to provide coverage for the diagnosis and medically necessary treatment of severe mental illnesses of a person of any age, and of serious emotional disturbances of a child, as specified.
This bill would require large group, individual, and small group health insurance policies to provide all covered mental health and substance use disorder benefits in compliance with those provisions of federal law governing mental health parity.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 10144.4 is added to the Insurance Code, to read:

10144.4.
 (a) A large group health insurance policy shall provide all covered mental health and substance use disorder benefits in compliance with the federal Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-343) and all rules, regulations, and guidance issued pursuant to Section 2726 of the federal Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 300gg-26).
(b) An individual or small group health insurance policy shall provide all covered mental health and substance use disorder benefits in compliance with the federal Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-343), all rules, regulations, and guidance issued pursuant to Section 2726 of the federal Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 300gg-26), and Section 10112.27.

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