Florida Senate - 2008 SB 2654
By Senator Geller
31-00327D-08 20082654__
1
A bill to be entitled
2
An act relating to autism spectrum disorder; providing a
3
short title; creating s. 627.6686, F.S.; providing
4
definitions; requiring health insurance plans to provide
5
coverage for screening, diagnosis, intervention, and
6
treatment of autism spectrum disorder in certain children;
7
requiring a treatment plan; prohibiting an insurer from
8
denying or refusing coverage or refusing to renew or
9
reissue or terminate coverage based on a diagnosis of
10
autism spectrum disorder; providing coverage limitations;
11
providing treatment plan requirements; limiting the
12
frequency of requests for updating a treatment plan;
13
providing eligibility requirements; providing a maximum
14
benefit that is adjusted annually; providing for
15
application; providing an effective date.
16
17
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19
Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Window of
20
Opportunity Act."
21
Section 2. Section 627.6686, Florida Statutes, is created
22
to read:
23
627.6686 Optional coverage for autism spectrum disorder
24
required; exception.--
25
(1) As used in this section, the term:
26
(a) "Applied behavior analysis" means the design,
27
implementation, and evaluation of environmental modifications,
28
using behavioral stimuli and consequences, to produce socially
29
significant improvement in human behavior, including, but not
30
limited to, the use of direct observation, measurement, and
31
functional analysis of the relations between environment and
32
behavior.
33
(b) "Autism spectrum disorder" means any of the following
34
disorders as defined in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic
35
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American
36
Psychiatric Association:
37
1. Autistic disorder.
38
2. Asperger's syndrome.
39
3. Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise
40
specified.
41
(c) "Health insurance plan" means a group health insurance
42
policy or group health benefit plan offered by an insurer which
43
includes the state group insurance program provided under s.
44
110.123. The term does not include any health insurance plan
45
offered in the individual market, any health insurance plan that
46
is individually underwritten, or any health insurance plan
47
provided to a small employer.
48
(d) "Insurer" means an insurer, health maintenance
49
organization, or any other entity providing health insurance
50
coverage which is licensed to engage in the business of insurance
51
in this state and is subject to insurance regulation.
52
(2) A health insurance plan shall provide coverage for
53
well-baby and well-child screening for diagnosing the presence of
54
autism spectrum disorder and the intervention and treatment of
55
autism spectrum disorder. Coverage provided under this section is
56
limited to treatment that is prescribed by the insured's treating
57
medical physician in accordance with a treatment plan. With
58
regard to a health insurance plan, an insurer may not deny or
59
refuse to issue coverage for, refuse to contract with, or refuse
60
to renew or reissue or otherwise terminate or restrict coverage
61
for an individual because the individual is diagnosed as having
62
autism spectrum disorder.
63
(3) The coverage required pursuant to subsection (2) may
64
not be subject to dollar limits, deductibles, or coinsurance
65
provisions that are less favorable to an insured than the dollar
66
limits, deductibles, or coinsurance provisions that apply to
67
physical illnesses that are generally covered under the health
68
insurance plan, except as otherwise provided for in subsection
69
(5). However, the coverage required pursuant to subsection (2)
70
may be subject to other general exclusions and limitations of the
71
insurer's policy or plan, including, but not limited to,
72
coordination of benefits, participating provider requirements,
73
restrictions on services provided by family or household members,
74
and utilization review of health care services, including the
75
review of medical necessity, case management, and other managed
76
care provisions.
77
(4) The treatment plan required pursuant to subsection (2)
78
must include all elements necessary for the health insurance plan
79
to appropriately pay claims. These elements include, but are not
80
limited to, a diagnosis, the proposed treatment by type, the
81
frequency and duration of treatment, the anticipated outcomes
82
stated as goals, the frequency by which the treatment plan will
83
be updated, and the treating medical doctor's signature. A health
84
insurance plan may request an updated treatment plan only once
85
every 6 months from the treating medical doctor for purposes of
86
reviewing medical necessity unless the health insurance plan and
87
the treating medical doctor agree that a more frequent review is
88
necessary due to emerging clinical circumstances.
89
(5) To be eligible for benefits and coverage under this
90
section, an individual must be diagnosed as having autistic
91
spectrum disorder at 8 years of age or younger. The benefits and
92
coverage provided pursuant to this section shall be provided to
93
any eligible person younger than 18 years of age or to any
94
eligible person 18 years of age or older who is in high school.
95
Coverage for behavioral therapy is subject to a maximum benefit
96
of $36,000 per year. Beginning January 1, 2010, this maximum
97
benefit shall be adjusted annually on January 1 of each calendar
98
year to reflect any change from the previous year in the medical
99
component of the then-current Consumer Price Index, All Urban
100
Consumers, as published by the United States Department of
101
Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
102
Section 3. This act shall take effect January 1, 2009, and
103
applies to health insurance policies or plans issued, renewed,
104
entered into, or delivered on or after that date.
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.