AB871: Bill Text

LRB-1739/1

TJD:sac:rs

2013 - 2014 LEGISLATURE

2013 Assembly BILL 871

March 14, 2014 - Introduced by Representatives C. Taylor, Berceau, Ohnstad, Pope, Sargent, Wright and Zamarripa, cosponsored by Senators Risser, Lehman and Harris. Referred to Committee on Insurance.

AB871,1,2 An Act to create 609.865 and 632.895 (12g) of the statutes; relating to: health insurance coverage of early intervention services.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires health insurance policies, known as disability insurance policies in the statutes, and health plans that provide coverage of a child's outpatient health care services, preventive treatments and services, or mental health services to cover any cost sharing or other payments that are the responsibility of a parent or legal guardian for services provided through the program of early intervention services. The coverage requirement under the bill applies to individual and group health insurance polices and plans, including defined network plans and voluntary nonprofit health care plans operated by cooperative associations, and to health care plans, including self-insured health plans offered by the state, cities, villages, towns, counties, and school districts. The coverage requirement does not apply to health insurance policies that cover only certain specified diseases other than mental health conditions, health insurance policies or self-insured governmental or school district health plans that provide only limited-scope dental or vision benefits, or Medicare replacement or supplement policies.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB871,1 Section 1. 609.865 of the statutes is created to read:

AB871,2,3 609.865 Early intervention services. Defined network plans are subject to s. 632.895 (12g).

AB871,2 Section 2. 632.895 (12g) of the statutes is created to read:

AB871,2,11 632.895 (12g) Early intervention services. (a) Every disability insurance policy, and every self-insured health plan of the state or of a county, city, town, village, or school district, that provides coverage of a child's outpatient health care services, preventive treatments and services, or mental health services shall provide coverage for any cost sharing or other payments that are the responsibility of a parent or legal guardian for services provided through the program of early intervention services under s. 51.44.

AB871,2,12 (b) This subsection does not apply to any of the following:

AB871,2,14 1. A disability insurance policy that covers only certain specified diseases other than mental health conditions.

AB871,2,17 2. A disability insurance policy, or self-insured health plan of the state or a county, city, town, village, or school district, that provides only limited-scope dental or vision benefits.

AB871,2,18 3. A Medicare replacement policy or a Medicare supplement policy.

AB871,3 Section 3. Initial applicability.

AB871,2,20 (1) This act first applies to all of the following:

AB871,2,24 (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), disability insurance policies that are newly issued or renewed, and self-insured governmental health plans that are newly established, extended, modified, or renewed, on the effective date of this paragraph.

AB871,3,3 (b) Disability insurance policies covering employees who are affected by a collective bargaining agreement containing provisions inconsistent with this act that are newly issued or renewed on the earlier of the following:

AB871,3,4 1. The day on which the collective bargaining agreement expires.

AB871,3,6 2. The day on which the collective bargaining agreement is extended, modified, or renewed.

AB871,4 Section 4. Effective date.

AB871,3,9 (1) This act takes effect on the first day of the 7th month beginning after publication.

AB871,3,10 (End)