2011 Missouri Revised Statutes
TITLE XXIV BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Chapter 376 Life, Health and Accident Insurance
Section 376.827. Requirements for mental illness coverage--parity with coverage provided for physical conditions.

376.827. 1. Nothing in this bill* shall be construed as requiring the coverage of mental illness.

2. Except for the coverage required pursuant to subsection 1 of section 376.779, and the offer of coverage required pursuant to sections 376.810 through 376.814, if any of the mental illness disorders enumerated in subdivision (4) of section 376.826 are provided by the health insurance policy, the coverage provided shall include all the disorders enumerated in subdivision (4) of section 376.826 and shall not establish any rate, term, or condition that places a greater financial burden on an insured for access to evaluation and treatment for mental illness than for access to evaluation and treatment for physical conditions, generally, except that alcohol and other drug abuse services shall have a minimum of thirty days total inpatient treatment and a minimum of twenty total visits for outpatient treatment for each year of coverage. A lifetime limit equal to four times such annual limits may be imposed. The days allowed for inpatient treatment can be converted for use for outpatient treatment on a two-for-one basis.

3. Deductibles, co-payment or coinsurance amounts for access to evaluation and treatment for mental illness shall not be unreasonable in relation to the cost of services provided.

4. A health insurance policy that is a federally qualified plan of benefits shall be construed to be in compliance with sections 376.825 to 376.836 if the policy is issued by a federally qualified health maintenance organization and the federally qualified health maintenance organization offered mental health coverage as required by sections 376.825 to 376.836. If such coverage is rejected, the federally qualified health maintenance organization shall, at a minimum, provide coverage for mental health services as a basic health service as required by the Federal Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. Section 300e., et seq.

5. Health insurance policies that provide mental illness benefits pursuant to sections 376.825 to 376.840 shall be deemed to be in compliance with the requirements of subsection 1 of section 376.779.

6. The director may disapprove any policy that the director determines to be inconsistent with the purposes of this section.

(L. 1999 H.B. 191)

Expires 1-01-11

*"This bill" (H.B. 191, 1999) contains numerous sections. Consult Disposition of Sections table for definitive listing.

Annotation Copyright Missouri Joint Committee on Legislative Research