House File 651 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  JOCHUM


    Passed House, Date                Passed Senate,  Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to continuity of care for cancer treatment and
  2    providing an effective date and retroactive applicability.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 2600YH 81
  5 av/sh/8

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 514C.17, subsections 1 and 2, Code
  1  2 2005, are amended to read as follows:
  1  3    1.  Except as provided under subsection 2 or 3, if a
  1  4 carrier, as defined in section 513B.2, an organized delivery
  1  5 system authorized under 1993 Iowa Acts, chapter 158, or a plan
  1  6 established pursuant to chapter 509A for public employees,
  1  7 terminates its contract with a participating health care
  1  8 provider, a covered individual who is undergoing a specified
  1  9 course of treatment for cancer or a terminal illness, or a
  1 10 related condition, with the recommendation of the covered
  1 11 individual's treating physician licensed under chapter 148,
  1 12 150, or 150A, may continue to receive coverage for treatment
  1 13 received from the covered individual's physician for cancer or
  1 14 the terminal illness, or a related condition, for a period of
  1 15 up to ninety days.  Payment for covered benefits and benefit
  1 16 levels shall be according to the terms and conditions of the
  1 17 contract in effect for the covered individual prior to the
  1 18 termination of the contract except upon agreement of the
  1 19 covered individual.
  1 20    2.  A covered person individual who makes a change in
  1 21 health plans involuntarily may request that the new health
  1 22 plan cover services of the covered person's individual's
  1 23 treating physician licensed under chapter 148, 150, or 150A,
  1 24 who is not a participating health care provider under the new
  1 25 health plan, if the covered person individual is undergoing a
  1 26 specified course of treatment for cancer or a terminal
  1 27 illness, or a related condition.  Continuation of such
  1 28 coverage shall continue for up to ninety days.  Payment for
  1 29 covered benefits and benefit levels shall be according to the
  1 30 terms and conditions of the contract in effect for the covered
  1 31 individual prior to that individual's involuntary change in
  1 32 health plans.
  1 33    Sec. 2.  EFFECTIVE DATE AND RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY.
  1 34 This Act, being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect
  1 35 upon enactment and is retroactively applicable to January 1,
  2  1 2004.
  2  2                           EXPLANATION
  2  3    This bill provides that when an insurance carrier,
  2  4 organized delivery system, or group insurer under Code chapter
  2  5 509A terminates its contract with a participating health care
  2  6 provider, a covered individual who is undergoing treatment for
  2  7 cancer or a related condition may continue to receive coverage
  2  8 for treatment received from that person's physician.  The bill
  2  9 provides that payment for covered benefits and benefit levels
  2 10 shall be according to the terms and conditions of the contract
  2 11 in effect for the covered individual prior to the termination
  2 12 of the contract except upon agreement of the covered
  2 13 individual.
  2 14    The bill provides that when a covered individual makes an
  2 15 involuntary change in health plans, that individual may
  2 16 request that the new health plan continue to cover services
  2 17 for treatment of cancer or a related condition and payment for
  2 18 covered benefits and benefits levels shall be according to the
  2 19 terms and conditions of the contract in effect prior to the
  2 20 covered individual's involuntary change in health plans.
  2 21    The bill takes effect upon enactment and is retroactively
  2 22 applicable to January 1, 2004.
  2 23 LSB 2600YH 81
  2 24 av:nh/sh/8.1