Senate Bill sb2170

    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 2170

    By Senator Miller





    18-1499A-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to health insurance; requiring

  3         health benefit plans, as defined, to offer

  4         coverage for prostate cancer early detection

  5         screening for certain men; providing an

  6         effective date.

  7  

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

  9  

10         Section 1.  (1)(a)  A health benefit plan that is

11  offered, issued, or renewed in this state on or after January

12  1, 2006, which provides coverage to men age 40 or older must

13  offer coverage for annual screening for prostate cancer for

14  such men, according to the prostate cancer early detection

15  guidelines of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. The

16  coverage may not be subject to plan deductibles.

17         (b)  The prostate cancer screening coverage shall be

18  offered as follows:

19         1.  The screening shall consist, at a minimum, of the

20  following tests:

21         a.  Prostate-specific antigen blood test; and

22         b.  Digital rectal examination.

23         (c)  If a medical practitioner recommends that an

24  insured, subscriber, or enrollee undergo a prostate-specific

25  antigen blood test, coverage may not be denied because that

26  person previously had a digital rectal exam and the exam

27  results were negative.

28         (2)  The benefits required by this section do not limit

29  diagnostic benefits otherwise allowable under a health benefit

30  plan.

31  

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






    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 2170
    18-1499A-05




 1         (3)  As used in this section, the term "health benefit

 2  plan" means group hospital or medical insurance coverage, a

 3  not-for-profit hospital or medical service or indemnity plan,

 4  a prepaid health plan, a health maintenance organization plan,

 5  a preferred provider organization plan, a state or municipal

 6  employee health insurance plan, a program funded under Title

 7  XIX of the Social Security Act or other publicly funded

 8  program, a Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement, or an

 9  employee self-insured plan, except as exempt under federal

10  ERISA provisions. The term does not include short-term,

11  accident, fixed indemnity, or specified disease policies,

12  disability income contracts, limited benefit or credit

13  disability insurance, workers' compensation insurance,

14  automobile medical payment insurance, or insurance under which

15  benefits are payable without regard to fault and which is

16  required by law to be included in a liability insurance policy

17  or equivalent self-insurance.

18         Section 2.  This act shall take effect January 1, 2006.

19  

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21                          SENATE SUMMARY

22    Requires health benefit plans that offer coverage to
      persons age 40 or older to include diagnostic screening
23    benefits for prostate cancer to such men. (See bill for
      details.)
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.