(a) Every policy of disability insurance covering hospital, surgical, or medical expenses that is issued, amended, renewed, or delivered on or after January 1, 1999, that provides coverage for surgical procedures known as mastectomies and lymph node dissections, shall do all of the following:

(1) Allow the length of a hospital stay associated with those procedures to be determined by the attending physician and surgeon in consultation with the patient, postsurgery, consistent with sound clinical principles and processes. No disability insurer shall require a treating physician and surgeon to receive prior approval in determining the length of hospital stay following those procedures.

(2) Cover prosthetic devices or reconstructive surgery, including devices or surgery to restore and achieve symmetry for the patient incident to the mastectomy. Coverage for prosthetic devices and reconstructive surgery shall be subject to the deductible and coinsurance conditions applicable to other benefits.

(3) Cover all complications from a mastectomy, including lymphedema.

(b) As used in this section, all of the following definitions apply:

(1) “Coverage for prosthetic devices or reconstructive surgery” means any initial and subsequent reconstructive surgeries or prosthetic devices, and followup care deemed necessary by the attending physician and surgeon.

(2) “Prosthetic devices” means and includes the provision of initial and subsequent prosthetic devices pursuant to an order of the patient’s physician and surgeon.

(3) “Mastectomy” means the removal of all or part of the breast for medically necessary reasons, as determined by a licensed physician and surgeon. Partial removal of a breast includes, but is not limited to, lumpectomy, which includes surgical removal of the tumor with clear margins.

(4) “To restore and achieve symmetry” means that, in addition to coverage of prosthetic devices and reconstructive surgery for the diseased breast on which the mastectomy was performed, prosthetic devices and reconstructive surgery for a healthy breast is also covered if, in the opinion of the attending physician and surgeon, this surgery is necessary to achieve normal symmetrical appearance.

(c) No individual, other than a licensed physician and surgeon competent to evaluate the specific clinical issues involved in the care requested, may deny requests for authorization of health care services pursuant to this section.

(d) No insurer shall do any of the following in providing the coverage described in subdivision (a):

(1) Reduce or limit the reimbursement of the attending provider for providing care to an insured in accordance with the coverage requirements.

(2) Provide monetary or other incentives to an attending provider to induce the provider to provide care to an insured in a manner inconsistent with the coverage requirements.

(3) Provide monetary payments or rebates to an insured to encourage acceptance of less than the coverage requirements.

(e) On or after July 1, 1999, every insurer shall include notice of the coverage required by this section in the insurer’s evidence of coverage or certificate of insurance.

(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit retrospective utilization review and quality assurance activities by the insurer.

(g) This section shall only apply to health benefit plans, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 10198.6, except that for accident only, specified disease, or hospital indemnity insurance, coverage for benefits under this section shall apply to the extent that the benefits are covered under the general terms and conditions that apply to all other benefits under the policy. Nothing in this section shall be construed as imposing a new benefit mandate on accident only, specified disease, or hospital indemnity insurance.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 449, Sec. 5. (SB 255) Effective January 1, 2013.)