(a) As used in this section, “Medicare” means the Health Insurance for the Aged Act, Title XVIII of the Social Security Amendments of 1965, as amended (Title I, Part I of P.L. 89-97); “Medicare supplement policy” means any group health insurance policy or certificate delivered or issued for delivery to any resident of the state who is eligible for Medicare, except any long-term care policy as defined in section 38a-528.

(b) No insurance company, fraternal benefit society, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation or health care center may deliver or issue for delivery any Medicare supplement policy that has an anticipated loss ratio of less than seventy per cent for any group Medicare supplement policy except that a minimum anticipated loss ratio of seventy-five per cent shall be required for any group Medicare supplement policy defined in Section 1882(g) of Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, 42 USC 1395ss(g), as amended from time to time. No such company, society, corporation or center may deliver or issue for delivery any Medicare supplement policy without providing, at the time of solicitation or application for the purchase or sale of such coverage, full and fair disclosure of any coverage supplementing or duplicating Medicare benefits.

(c) Each Medicare supplement policy shall provide coverage for home health aide services for each individual covered under the policy when such services are not paid for by Medicare, provided (1) such services are provided by a certified home health aide employed by a home health care agency licensed pursuant to sections 19a-490 to 19a-503, inclusive, and (2) the individual’s physician or advanced practice registered nurse has certified, in writing, that such services are medically necessary. The policy shall not be required to provide benefits in excess of five hundred dollars per year for such services. No deductible or coinsurance provisions may be applicable to such benefits. If two or more Medicare supplement policies are issued to the same individual by the same insurer, such coverage for home health aide services shall be included in only one such policy. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (g) of this section, the provisions of this subsection shall apply with respect to any Medicare supplement policy delivered, issued for delivery, continued or renewed in this state on or after October 1, 1986.

(d) Whenever a Medicare supplement policy provides coverage for the cost of prescription drugs prescribed after the hospitalization of the insured, outpatient surgical procedures performed on the insured in any licensed hospital shall constitute “hospitalization” for purposes of such prescription drug coverage in such policy.

(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (g) of this section, each Medicare supplement policy delivered, issued for delivery, continued or renewed in this state on or after October 1, 1988, shall provide benefits, to any woman covered under the policy, for mammographic examinations every year, or more frequently if recommended by the woman’s physician or advanced practice registered nurse, when such examinations are not paid for by Medicare.

(f) The Insurance Commissioner shall adopt such regulations as he deems necessary in accordance with chapter 54 to carry out the purposes of this section.

(g) The provisions of this section shall apply with respect to any Medicare supplement policy delivered, issued for delivery, continued or renewed in this state on or after October 1, 1987, and prior to the effective date of any regulations adopted pursuant to section 38a-495a.

(P.A. 90-243, S. 106; P.A. 92-60, S. 25; 92-111, S. 3, 4; P.A. 16-39, S. 65; P.A. 17-15, S. 65.)

History: P.A. 92-60 in Subsec. (a) made technical corrections for statutory consistency; P.A. 92-111 amended Subsec. (g) to make the provisions of this section applicable to Medicare supplement policy regulations adopted pursuant to Sec. 38a-495a; P.A. 16-39 amended Subsecs. (c)(2) and (e) by adding references to advanced practice registered nurse and made a technical change; P.A. 17-15 made a technical change in Subsec. (b).