Senate Bill sb0220

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                   SB 220

    By Senator Dawson





    30-4-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to  health insurance; creating

  3         ss. 627.6414, 627.65753, F.S., and amending s.

  4         641.31, F.S.; requiring health insurance

  5         policies and health maintenance contracts to

  6         provide for one routine eye examination for

  7         certain children by a licensed ophthalmologist

  8         or licensed optometrist selected by the

  9         patient; providing for medically necessary

10         followup visits; providing for the cost of the

11         examination to be covered by the insurer or

12         health maintenance organization; providing an

13         effective date.

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

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17         Section 1.  Section 627.6414, Florida Statutes, is

18  created to read:

19         627.6414  Coverage for children's eye examinations.--A

20  health insurance policy that covers a child under the age of

21  18 must provide coverage for one routine eye examination by an

22  ophthalmologist licensed under chapter 458 or by an

23  optometrist licensed under chapter 463 for a child up to the

24  age of 8 years old and any medically necessary followup

25  visits, as determined by the ophthalmologist or optometrist.

26  The cost of the examination shall be covered by the insurer.

27  The patient may select the ophthalmologist or optometrist to

28  provide the examination.

29         Section 2.  Section 627.65753, Florida Statutes, is

30  created to read:

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                   SB 220
    30-4-01




  1         627.65753  Coverage for children's eye

  2  examinations.--Any group, blanket, or franchise health

  3  insurance policy that covers a child under the age of 18 must

  4  provide coverage for one routine eye examination by an

  5  ophthalmologist licensed under chapter 458 or by an

  6  optometrist licensed under chapter 463 for a child up to the

  7  age of 8 years old and any medically necessary followup

  8  visits, as determined by the ophthalmologist or optometrist.

  9  The cost of the examination shall be covered by the insurer.

10  The patient may select the ophthalmologist or optometrist to

11  provide the examination.

12         Section 3.  Subsection (40) is added to section 641.31,

13  Florida Statutes, to read:

14         641.31  Health maintenance contracts.--

15         (40)  A health maintenance contract that covers a child

16  under the age of 18 or provides coverage, benefits, or

17  services for members of the family of a subscriber must

18  provide coverage for one routine eye examination by an

19  ophthalmologist licensed under chapter 458 or by an

20  optometrist licensed under chapter 463 for a child up to the

21  age of 8 years old and any medically necessary followup

22  visits, as determined by the ophthalmologist or optometrist.

23  The cost of the examination shall be covered by the health

24  maintenance organization. The patient may select the

25  ophthalmologist or optometrist to provide the examination.

26         Section 4.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

27  law.

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                   SB 220
    30-4-01




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  2                          SENATE SUMMARY

  3    Requires group, blanket, or franchise health insurance
      policies and health maintenance contracts that cover
  4    children under the age of 18 to provide coverage for one
      routine eye examination for a child up to the age of 8
  5    years old and any medically necessary followup visits.
      The cost of such examination is covered by the policy or
  6    contract. Provides that the patient may select the
      ophthalmologist or optometrist to perform the
  7    examination.

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