GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1999

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 1206

Short Title:  Health Ins./Mental Hlth Precert.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representative Insko.

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Referred to:  Insurance.

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April 15, 1999

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT PERTAINING TO HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN PRECERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. Effective January 1, 2000, Article 3 of Chapter 58 of the General Statutes is amended by adding the following new section to read:
"§ 58-3-225. Mental health benefits precertification.
(a)	Every insurer providing a health benefit plan that provides coverage for physical illness and injury and mental illness that is subject to case management for medical necessity and medical appropriateness shall provide coverage without precertification for not fewer than 26 outpatient mental health visits per plan year.
(b)	As used in this section, the terms ‘health benefit plan' and ‘insurer' have the same meaning as applies under G.S. 58-50-61."
Section 2. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to health benefit plans that are delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on and after January 1, 2000.  For purposes of this act, renewal of a health benefit plan is presumed to occur on each anniversary of the date on which coverage was first effective on the person or persons covered by the health benefit plan.