CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.





                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

    hbd3999-27                                    Bill No. HB 3999

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)

                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
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 5                                           ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW

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11  Representative(s) Bloom offered the following:

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13         Amendment to Amendment (533465) (with title amendment) 

14         On page 10, between lines 18 and 19, of the amendment

15

16  insert:

17         Section 4.  Legislative findings and intent.--

18         (1)  The Legislature finds that:

19         (a)  Each year, more than half of all pregnancies in

20  this state are unintended.

21         (b)  Contraceptive services are part of basic health

22  care, allowing families to both adequately space desired

23  pregnancies and avoid unintended pregnancy.

24         (c)  Contraceptives are highly cost effective, yielding

25  from $4 to $14 dollars in savings for every dollar expended.

26         (d)  By reducing rates of unintended pregnancy,

27  contraceptives help reduce the need for abortions.

28         (e)  Unintended pregnancies lead to higher rates of

29  infant mortality, low birth weight, and maternal morbidity,

30  and threaten the economic viability of families.

31         (f)  Most women in this state of childbearing age rely

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    File original & 9 copies    04/17/98
    hbd0021                     03:53 pm         03999-0106-535307




                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

    hbd3999-27                                    Bill No. HB 3999

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)





 1  on private employment-related insurance to cover their medical

 2  expenses.

 3         (g)  Most private insurers cover prescription drugs,

 4  but many exclude coverage for prescription contraceptives.

 5         (h)  The lack of contraceptive coverage in health

 6  insurance policies places many effective forms of

 7  contraceptives beyond the financial reach of many women,

 8  leading to unintended pregnancies.

 9         (2)  Therefore, the Legislature determines that

10  creation of section 627.60461, Florida Statutes, by this act

11  constitutes an important state interest.

12         Section 5.  Section 627.64061, Florida Statutes, is

13  created to read:

14         627.64061  Coverage for prescription

15  contraceptives.--Any health insurance policy that provides

16  coverage for outpatient prescription drugs shall cover

17  prescription oral contraceptives approved by the federal Food

18  and Drug Administration and prescribed by a practitioner

19  authorized by state licensure to prescribe such medication.

20  Coverage must be provided to the same extent and subject to

21  the same contract terms, including copayments and deductibles,

22  as any other prescription drug.

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25  ================ T I T L E   A M E N D M E N T ===============

26  And the title is amended as follows:

27         On page 11, line 24, after the semicolon, of the

28  amendment

29

30  insert:

31         providing legislative findings and intent with

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    File original & 9 copies    04/17/98
    hbd0021                     03:53 pm         03999-0106-535307




                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

    hbd3999-27                                    Bill No. HB 3999

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)





 1         respect to health insurance coverage for

 2         prescription contraceptives; creating s.

 3         627.64061, F.S.; requiring any health insurance

 4         policy that provides coverage for outpatient

 5         prescription drugs to cover prescription oral

 6         contraceptives;

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    File original & 9 copies    04/17/98
    hbd0021                     03:53 pm         03999-0106-535307