Bill Text: CA SB374 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Chaptered
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-Chaptered.html
| Senate Bill No. 374 |
| CHAPTER 162 |
An act to add Section 10144.4 to the Insurance Code, relating to health insurance.
[
Approved by
Governor
July 31, 2017.
Filed with
Secretary of State
July 31, 2017.
]
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.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
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.
