2006 Louisiana Laws - RS 22:230.5 — Statutory mandates; actuarial cost analysis; periodic reevaluation; moratorium on additional mandates

§230.5.  Statutory mandates; actuarial cost analysis; periodic reevaluation; moratorium on additional mandates

A.  For purposes of this Section:

(1)  "Statutory mandate" shall mean any provision of law that requires a health insurer, health maintenance organization, or preferred provider organization to provide or offer coverage for mandated benefits or mandated options to its insureds, enrollees, or subscribers.

(a)  Statutory mandates shall include R.S. 22:215.1(B), 215.5, 215.8, 215.10, 215.11, 215.14, 215.15, 215.16, 215.20, 215.21, 228.7, 230.1, 230.4, 669, and 2004.1.

(b)  Statutory mandate shall not include any federally mandated benefit or mandated option.

(2)  "Actuarial cost analysis" shall mean an analysis conducted by the Department of Insurance of the costs associated with the statutory mandate, including but not limited to the actual premium cost of the specific mandate and the effect of the mandate on insurance premiums charged to the citizens of this state.

(3)  "Periodic reevaluation" shall mean evaluation by the House and Senate Committees on Insurance of each statutory mandate and of the relevant actuarial cost analysis conducted by the Department of Insurance as required by Subsection B of this Section.

B.(1)  Each statutory mandate specified in Subparagraph (A)(1) (a) of this Section shall undergo an actuarial cost analysis, the results of which shall be reported to the House and Senate Committees on Insurance prior to commencement of the 2003 Regular Session of the Legislature for their periodic reevaluation.

(2)  Any statutory mandate enacted or reenacted after January 1, 2001, shall undergo an actuarial cost analysis, the results of which shall be reported to the House and Senate Committees on Insurance prior to commencement of the fourth regular session of the legislature after the regular session in which it was enacted or reenacted for their periodic reevaluation.

C.(1)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a health insurance issuer shall not be required to deliver, issue, or renew a health benefit plan on or after January 1, 2004, and before December 31, 2008, that includes any additional mandate benefit or mandated option beyond those statutory requirements in effect for health benefit plans on July 2, 2003.  This Subsection shall apply to any health benefit plan delivered or issued for delivery in this state, including any hospital, health, or medical expense insurance policy, hospital or medical service contract, employee welfare plan,  health and accident insurance policy, or any policy of group, family group, blanket, or franchise health and accident insurance, self-insurance plan, health maintenance organization, preferred provider organization, or the Office of Group Benefits.

(2)  Nothing in this Subsection shall be construed to prohibit an employer from electing to expand coverage on any group or individual health benefit plan or policy covering the employer and the employees of the employer.

(3)  Nothing in this Subsection shall be construed to prohibit a health  insurance issuer from electing to expand coverage on any group or individual health benefit plan.

D.  Nothing in this Section shall affect the fiscal impact report required by R.S. 24:603.1 to be attached to any legislation mandating health insurance benefits or options prior to its consideration by any committee of either house of the legislature.

E.  Nothing in this Section shall be construed to allow a health benefit plan policy delivered, issued, or renewed after July 2, 2003, to suspend, limit, or modify any mandates in effect on that date.

Acts 2001, No. 1133, §1; Acts 2003, No. 1115, §1, eff. July 2, 2003.

NOTE:  See Acts 2003, Nos. 816 and 829, §§2 and 3.