40-2,166. Coverage of reconstructive breast surgery. (a) Any individual or group health insurance policy, medical service plan, contract, hospital service corporation contract, hospital and medical service corporation contract, fraternal benefit society or health maintenance organization which provides coverage for accident and health services and which is delivered, issued for delivery, amended or renewed on or after July 1, 1999, and which provides medical and surgical benefits with respect to a mastectomy shall provide, in a case of a participant or beneficiary who is receiving benefits in connection with a mastectomy and who elects breast reconstruction in connection with such mastectomy, coverage for:

(1) Reconstruction of the breast on which the mastectomy has been performed;

(2) surgery and reconstruction of the other breast to produce a symmetrical appearance; and

(3) prostheses and physical complications in all stages of mastectomy, including lymphedemas.

Such coverage shall be provided in a manner determined in consultation with the attending physician and the patient. Such coverage may be subject to annual deductibles and coinsurance provisions as may be deemed appropriate and as are consistent with those established for other benefits under the plan or coverage.

(b) Each individual or group health insurance policy, medical service plan, contract, hospital service corporation contract, hospital and medical service corporation contract, fraternal benefit society or health maintenance organization which provides coverage for accident and health services which provides medical and surgical benefits with respect to a mastectomy shall provide written notice, as currently required, to all enrollees, insureds or subscribers regarding the coverage required by this section.

(c) No individual or group health insurance policy, medical service plan, contract, hospital service corporation contract, hospital and medical service corporation contract, fraternal benefit society or health maintenance organization which provides coverage for accident and health services which provides medical and surgical benefits with respect to a mastectomy shall:

(1) Deny to a patient eligibility, or continued eligibility, to enroll or to renew coverage under the terms of the plan, solely for the purpose of avoiding the requirements of this section; and

(2) penalize or otherwise reduce or limit the reimbursement of an attending provider, or provide incentives (monetary or otherwise) to an attending provider, to induce such provider to provide care to an individual participant or beneficiary in a manner inconsistent with this section.

(d) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any policy or certificate which provides coverage for any specified disease, specified accident or accident only coverage, credit, dental, disability income, hospital indemnity, long-term care insurance as defined by K.S.A. 40-2227, and amendments thereto, vision care or any other limited supplemental benefit nor to any medicare supplement policy of insurance as defined by the commissioner of insurance by rule and regulation, any coverage issued as a supplement to liability insurance, workers' compensation or similar insurance, automobile medical-payment insurance or any insurance under which benefits are payable with or without regard to fault, whether written on a group, blanket or individual basis.

History: L. 1999, ch. 162, § 2; July 1.