Senate Bill 0006

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



    Florida Senate - 2000                                     SB 6

    By Senator Dyer





    14-36-00

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to health insurance;

  3         authorizing an insurer to issue certain health

  4         insurance policies or certificates which do not

  5         include specified provisions; providing that

  6         mandated health benefits may be excluded from

  7         any such policy or certificate; defining the

  8         term "mandated health benefit"; requiring that

  9         a policy or certificate issued under the act

10         include a specified notice; providing an

11         effective date.

12

13         WHEREAS, Florida has over 30 mandated benefit

14  requirements placed on health insurance policies, and

15         WHEREAS, mandated health benefits force consumers to

16  pay for coverage they may not want, and

17         WHEREAS, laws that mandate health benefits increase the

18  cost of health care and make health insurance less affordable

19  and accessible for many individuals and employees, and

20         WHEREAS, mandated health benefits cause health

21  insurance costs to rise, and

22         WHEREAS, studies have shown that 14 percent to 25

23  percent of the uninsured population are unable to buy

24  insurance as a direct result of the cost of state-mandated

25  health benefits, and

26         WHEREAS, there are over 2.5 million uninsured people

27  under the age of 65 in this state, with thousands more being

28  added to the ranks of the uninsured each month, and

29         WHEREAS, the proliferation of health benefits that are

30  mandated in this state has led to the increasing number of

31  uninsured Floridians, and

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






    Florida Senate - 2000                                     SB 6
    14-36-00




  1         WHEREAS, the Legislature seeks to make health insurance

  2  more affordable and accessible for all Floridians, and

  3         WHEREAS, it is the determination of the Legislature

  4  that consumers of health insurance in this state should be

  5  allowed the option of purchasing health benefit plans of their

  6  own choosing without mandated health benefits, NOW, THEREFORE,

  7

  8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

  9

10         Section 1.  (1)  An insurer may deliver, or issue for

11  delivery, a health insurance policy or certificate under part

12  II, part VI, or part VII of chapter 627, Florida Statutes,

13  which does not include:

14         (a)  Any provision required by section 627.419, section

15  627.4236, section 627.4239, section 627.42395, section

16  627.4295, section 627.6056, section 627.6403, section

17  627.6406, section 627.6407, section 627.6408, section

18  627.6409, section 627.6416, section 627.6417, section

19  627.64172, section 627.6418, section 627.64193, section

20  627.6471, subsection 627.6515(7), section 627.6574, section

21  627.65745, section 627.6577, section 627.6579, section

22  627.6612, section 627.6613, section 627.6617, section

23  627.6618, section 627.6675, section 627.668, section 627.669,

24  section 627.6691, or section 627.66911, Florida Statutes.

25         (b)  Any mandated health benefit.

26         (c)  Any proposed mandated health benefit.

27         (d)  Any amendment to a proposed mandated health

28  benefit.

29         (2)  As used in this section, the term "mandated health

30  benefit" means any law that requires an insurer to:

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






    Florida Senate - 2000                                     SB 6
    14-36-00




  1         (a)  Provide coverage for specific medical or

  2  health-related services, treatments, medications, or

  3  practices.

  4         (b)  Provide coverage for services that are specific to

  5  health care practitioners.

  6         (c)  Offer coverage for specific services, treatments,

  7  medications, or practices or expand an existing coverage to

  8  include specific services, treatments, medications, or

  9  practices.

10         (d)  Provide reimbursement to a specific health care

11  practitioner.

12         (3)  Each health insurance policy or certificate issued

13  as authorized under subsection (1) must clearly display the

14  following notice:

15

16         "THIS PLAN DOES NOT PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR

17         VARIOUS BENEFITS MANDATED BY FLORIDA LAW. READ

18         YOUR POLICY CAREFULLY."

19

20         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.

21

22            *****************************************

23                          SENATE SUMMARY

24    Authorizes a health insurer to issue a policy or
      certificate under part II, part VI, or part VII of
25    chapter 627, Florida Statutes, which does not include
      certain required coverage or mandated health benefits.
26    Requires that each such policy or certificate provide
      notice that the coverage or benefit is excluded.
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