(a) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, each group health insurance policy providing coverage of the type specified in subdivisions (1), (2), (4), (11) and (12) of section 38a-469 shall provide coverage for expenses incurred in connection with medical complications of alcoholism pursuant to diagnosis or recommendation by a physician licensed pursuant to the provisions of chapter 370. As used in this section, “medical complications of alcoholism” means such diseases as cirrhosis of the liver, gastrointestinal bleeding, pneumonia, and delirium tremens.

(b) Medical complications of alcoholism shall be recognized to the extent specified in the contract for confinement for any other disease.

(c) A group health insurance policy providing coverage of the type specified in subdivisions (1), (2), (4), (11) and (12) of section 38a-469 may exclude the benefits required by this section if such benefits are included in a separate policy issued to the same group by an insurance company, health care center, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation or fraternal benefit society. Such separate policy, which shall include the benefits required by this section, shall not be required to include any other benefits mandated by this title.

(d) The provisions of this section shall apply to any group health insurance policy delivered or issued for delivery, renewed or continued in this state on and after January 1, 2000, and to any group health insurance policy which is thereafter amended to substantially alter or change benefits or coverages.

(P.A. 74-162, S. 1–6; P.A. 89-86, S. 2; P.A. 90-102, S. 1; 90-243, S. 117; P.A. 99-284, S. 29, 60.)

History: P.A. 89-86 inserted new Subsec. (e) providing for exclusion of the benefits required by this section in a group contract if such benefits are included in a separate contract issued to the same group which also includes the benefits required by Sec. 38-174d and relettered former Subsec. accordingly; P.A. 90-102 added Subdivs. (3) and (4) defining “substance abuse” and “continued”, replaced the references to “alcoholism” with “substance abuse” and amended Subsec. (f) to make the provisions of this section apply to policies renewed or continued on or after October 1, 1990; P.A. 90-243 substituted “health insurance policy” for “hospital or medical expense insurance policy and group hospital or medical service plan contract on an expense incurred basis”, inserted the reference “health” and deleted the reference “group subscriber contract”; Sec. 38-262b transferred to Sec. 38a-533 in 1991; P.A. 99-284 deleted former Subsec. (a) re definitions, redesignated former Subsec. (b) as (a) and inserted definition of “medical complications of alcoholism”, redesignated former Subsec. (c) as (b) and deleted reference to confinement for treatment of substance abuse or medical complications of alcoholism in a hospital, deleted former Subsec. (d) re confinement for treatment of substance abuse, redesignated former Subsecs. (e) and (f) as (c) and (d), respectively, and amended Subsecs. (a) and (c) to delete reference to Sec. 38a-469(6), amended Subsec. (c) to delete reference to benefits required by Sec. 38a-514, and amended Subsec. (d) to substitute “January 1, 2000” for “October 1, 1990”, and made technical changes, effective January 1, 2000.