(a) As used in this section:

(1) “Commissioner” means the Insurance Commissioner.

(2) “Mandated health benefit” means an existing statutory obligation of, or proposed legislation that would require, an insurer, health care center, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation, fraternal benefit society or other entity that offers individual or group health insurance or medical or health care benefits plan in this state to: (A) Permit an insured or enrollee to obtain health care treatment or services from a particular type of health care provider; (B) offer or provide coverage for the screening, diagnosis or treatment of a particular disease or condition; or (C) offer or provide coverage for a particular type of health care treatment or service, or for medical equipment, medical supplies or drugs used in connection with a health care treatment or service. “Mandated health benefit” includes any proposed legislation to expand or repeal an existing statutory obligation relating to health insurance coverage or medical benefits.

(b) (1) There is established within the Insurance Department a health benefit review program for the review and evaluation of any mandated health benefit that is requested by the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to insurance. Such program shall be funded by the Insurance Fund established under section 38a-52a. The commissioner shall be authorized to make assessments in a manner consistent with the provisions of chapter 698 for the costs of carrying out the requirements of this section. Such assessments shall be in addition to any other taxes, fees and moneys otherwise payable to the state. The commissioner shall deposit all payments made under this section with the State Treasurer. The moneys deposited shall be credited to the Insurance Fund and shall be accounted for as expenses recovered from insurance companies. Such moneys shall be expended by the commissioner to carry out the provisions of this section and section 2 of public act 09-179*.

(2) The commissioner shall contract with The University of Connecticut Center for Public Health and Health Policy to conduct any mandated health benefit review requested pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. The director of said center may engage the services of an actuary, quality improvement clearinghouse, health policy research organization or any other independent expert, and may engage or consult with any dean, faculty or other personnel said director deems appropriate within The University of Connecticut schools and colleges, including, but not limited to, The University of Connecticut (A) School of Business, (B) School of Dental Medicine, (C) School of Law, (D) School of Medicine, and (E) School of Pharmacy.

(c) Not later than August first of each year, the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to insurance shall submit to the commissioner a list of any mandated health benefits for which said committee is requesting a review. Not later than January first of the succeeding year, the commissioner shall submit a report, in accordance with section 11-4a, of the findings of such review and the information set forth in subsection (d) of this section.

(d) The review report shall include at least the following, to the extent information is available:

(1) The social impact of mandating the benefit, including:

(A) The extent to which the treatment, service or equipment, supplies or drugs, as applicable, is utilized by a significant portion of the population;

(B) The extent to which the treatment, service or equipment, supplies or drugs, as applicable, is currently available to the population, including, but not limited to, coverage under Medicare, or through public programs administered by charities, public schools, the Department of Public Health, municipal health departments or health districts or the Department of Social Services;

(C) The extent to which insurance coverage is already available for the treatment, service or equipment, supplies or drugs, as applicable;

(D) If the coverage is not generally available, the extent to which such lack of coverage results in persons being unable to obtain necessary health care treatment;

(E) If the coverage is not generally available, the extent to which such lack of coverage results in unreasonable financial hardships on those persons needing treatment;

(F) The level of public demand and the level of demand from providers for the treatment, service or equipment, supplies or drugs, as applicable;

(G) The level of public demand and the level of demand from providers for insurance coverage for the treatment, service or equipment, supplies or drugs, as applicable;

(H) The likelihood of achieving the objectives of meeting a consumer need as evidenced by the experience of other states;

(I) The relevant findings of state agencies or other appropriate public organizations relating to the social impact of the mandated health benefit;

(J) The alternatives to meeting the identified need, including, but not limited to, other treatments, methods or procedures;

(K) Whether the benefit is a medical or a broader social need and whether it is consistent with the role of health insurance and the concept of managed care;

(L) The potential social implications of the coverage with respect to the direct or specific creation of a comparable mandated benefit for similar diseases, illnesses or conditions;

(M) The impact of the benefit on the availability of other benefits currently offered;

(N) The impact of the benefit as it relates to employers shifting to self-insured plans and the extent to which the benefit is currently being offered by employers with self-insured plans;

(O) The impact of making the benefit applicable to the state employee health insurance or health benefits plan; and

(P) The extent to which credible scientific evidence published in peer-reviewed medical literature generally recognized by the relevant medical community determines the treatment, service or equipment, supplies or drugs, as applicable, to be safe and effective; and

(2) The financial impact of mandating the benefit, including:

(A) The extent to which the mandated health benefit may increase or decrease the cost of the treatment, service or equipment, supplies or drugs, as applicable, over the next five years;

(B) The extent to which the mandated health benefit may increase the appropriate or inappropriate use of the treatment, service or equipment, supplies or drugs, as applicable, over the next five years;

(C) The extent to which the mandated health benefit may serve as an alternative for more expensive or less expensive treatment, service or equipment, supplies or drugs, as applicable;

(D) The methods that will be implemented to manage the utilization and costs of the mandated health benefit;

(E) The extent to which insurance coverage for the treatment, service or equipment, supplies or drugs, as applicable, may be reasonably expected to increase or decrease the insurance premiums and administrative expenses for policyholders;

(F) The extent to which the treatment, service or equipment, supplies or drugs, as applicable, is more or less expensive than an existing treatment, service or equipment, supplies or drugs, as applicable, that is determined to be equally safe and effective by credible scientific evidence published in peer-reviewed medical literature generally recognized by the relevant medical community;

(G) The impact of insurance coverage for the treatment, service or equipment, supplies or drugs, as applicable, on the total cost of health care, including potential benefits or savings to insurers and employers resulting from prevention or early detection of disease or illness related to such coverage;

(H) The impact of the mandated health care benefit on the cost of health care for small employers, as defined in section 38a-564, and for employers other than small employers; and

(I) The impact of the mandated health benefit on cost-shifting between private and public payors of health care coverage and on the overall cost of the health care delivery system in the state.

(P.A. 09-179, S. 1.)

*Note: Section 2 of public act 09-179 is special in nature and therefore has not been codified but remains in full force and effect according to its terms.

History: P.A. 09-179 effective July 1, 2009.