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90_HB0111 215 ILCS 5/370c from Ch. 73, par. 982c 215 ILCS 5/370c-1 new Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Requires individual and group policies of accident and health insurance and other health care plans to provide coverage for serious mental illness under the same terms and conditions as coverage is provided for other illnesses. Provides that inpatient treatment may be limited to 90 consecutive days. Defines terms. LRB9000928JScc LRB9000928JScc 1 AN ACT to amend the Illinois Insurance Code by changing 2 Section 370c and adding Section 370c-1. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The Illinois Insurance Code is amended by 6 changing Section 370c and adding Section 370c-1 as follows: 7 (215 ILCS 5/370c) (from Ch. 73, par. 982c) 8 Sec. 370c. Mental and emotional disorders. 9 (1) On and after the effective date of this Section, 10 every insurer which delivers, issues for delivery or renews 11 or modifies group A&H policies providing coverage for 12 hospital or medical treatment or services for illness on an 13 expense-incurred basis shall offer to the applicant or group 14 policyholder subject to the insurers standards of 15 insurability, coverage for reasonable and necessary treatment 16 and services for mental, emotional, or nervous disorders or 17 conditions, other than serious mental illnesses subject to 18 Section 370c-1, up to the limits provided in the policy for 19 other disorders or conditions, except (i) the insured may be 20 required to pay up to 50% of expenses incurred as a result of 21 the treatment or services, and (ii) the annual benefit limit 22 may be limited to the lesser of $10,000 or 25% of the 23 lifetime policy limit. 24 (2) Each insured that is covered for mental, emotional 25 or nervous disorders or conditions shall be free to select 26 the physician licensed to practice medicine in all its 27 branches, licensed clinical psychologist, or licensed 28 clinical social worker of his choice to treat such disorders, 29 and the insurer shall pay the covered charges of such 30 physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, 31 licensed clinical psychologist, or licensed clinical social -2- LRB9000928JScc 1 worker up to the limits of coverage, provided (i) the 2 disorder or condition treated is covered by the policy, and 3 (ii) the physician, licensed psychologist, or licensed 4 clinical social worker is authorized to provide said services 5 under the statutes of this State and in accordance with 6 accepted principles of his profession. 7 Insofar as this Section applies solely to licensed 8 clinical social workers, those persons who may provide 9 services to individuals shall do so after the licensed 10 clinical social worker has informed the patient of the 11 desirability of the patient conferring with the patient's 12 primary care physician and the licensed clinical social 13 worker has provided written notification to the patient's 14 primary care physician, if any, that services are being 15 provided to the patient. That notification may, however, be 16 waived by the patient on a written form. Those forms shall 17 be retained by the licensed clinical social worker for a 18 period of not less than 5 years. 19 (Source: P.A. 86-1434.) 20 (215 ILCS 5/370c-1 new) 21 Sec. 370c-1. Coverage for serious mental illness. 22 (a) An insurer that provides coverage for hospital or 23 medical expenses under a group or individual policy of 24 accident and health insurance or health care plan amended, 25 delivered, issued, or renewed after the effective date of 26 this amendatory Act of 1997 shall provide coverage under the 27 policy for treatment of serious mental illness under the same 28 terms and conditions as coverage for hospital or medical 29 expenses related to other illnesses and diseases. The 30 coverage required under this Section must provide the same 31 durational limits, amount limits, deductibles, and 32 co-insurance requirements for serious mental illness as are 33 provided for other illnesses and diseases. -3- LRB9000928JScc 1 (b) "Serious mental illness" means any mental disorders 2 that are caused by factors including a biological or 3 physiological disorder of the brain or psychosocial factors 4 that substantially limit the life activities of the person 5 with the illness. Examples include, but are not limited to, 6 the following as described in the most current edition of the 7 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) published by the 8 American Psychiatric Association: 9 (1) Schizophrenia. 10 (2) Pervasive developmental disorder. 11 (3) Autistic disorders. 12 (4) Schizoaffective disorder. 13 (5) Delusional disorder. 14 (6) Bipolar disorder. 15 (7) Major depression. 16 (8) Obsessive compulsive disorder. 17 (9) Panic disorder. 18 (c) Upon request of the reimbursing insurer, a provider 19 of treatment of serious mental illness shall furnish medical 20 records or other necessary data that substantiate that 21 initial or continued treatment is at all times medically 22 necessary. An insurer shall provide a mechanism for the 23 timely review by a provider holding the same license and 24 practicing in the same specialty as the patient's provider, 25 who is unaffiliated with the insurer, jointly selected by the 26 patient (or the patient's next of kin or legal representative 27 if the patient is unable to act for himself or herself), the 28 patient's provider, and the insurer in the event of a dispute 29 between the insurer and patient's provider regarding the 30 medical necessity of a treatment proposed by a patient's 31 provider. If the reviewing provider determines the treatment 32 to be medically necessary, the insurer shall provide 33 reimbursement for the treatment. Future contractual or 34 employment actions by the insurer regarding the patient's -4- LRB9000928JScc 1 provider shall not be based on the provider's participation 2 in this procedure. Nothing prevents the insured from 3 agreeing in writing to continue treatment at his or her 4 expense. 5 When making a determination of the medical necessity for 6 a treatment modality for serious mental illness, an insurer 7 must make the determination in a manner that is consistent 8 with the manner used to make that determination with respect 9 to other diseases or illnesses covered under the policy, 10 including an appeals process. 11 (d) Inpatient coverage under this Section when 12 continuous hospitalization is medically necessary may be 13 limited to 90 consecutive days.