(a)  Every health care service plan contract, except a specialized health care service plan contract, that is issued, amended, delivered, or renewed on or after January 1, 2000, and that covers hospital, medical, or surgical expenses shall include coverage for the following equipment and supplies for the management and treatment of insulin-using diabetes, non-insulin-using diabetes, and gestational diabetes as medically necessary, even if the items are available without a prescription:

(1)  Blood glucose monitors and blood glucose testing strips.

(2)  Blood glucose monitors designed to assist the visually impaired.

(3)  Insulin pumps and all related necessary supplies.

(4)  Ketone urine testing strips.

(5)  Lancets and lancet puncture devices.

(6)  Pen delivery systems for the administration of insulin.

(7)  Podiatric devices to prevent or treat diabetes-related complications.

(8)  Insulin syringes.

(9)  Visual aids, excluding eyewear, to assist the visually impaired with proper dosing of insulin.

(b)  Every health care service plan contract, except a specialized health care service plan contract, that is issued, amended, delivered, or renewed on or after January 1, 2000, that covers prescription benefits shall include coverage for the following prescription items if the items are determined to be medically necessary:

(1)  Insulin.

(2)  Prescriptive medications for the treatment of diabetes.

(3)  Glucagon.

(c)  The copayments and deductibles for the benefits specified in subdivisions (a) and (b) shall not exceed those established for similar benefits within the given plan.

(d)  Every plan shall provide coverage for diabetes outpatient self-management training, education, and medical nutrition therapy necessary to enable an enrollee to properly use the equipment, supplies, and medications set forth in subdivisions (a) and (b), and additional diabetes outpatient self-management training, education, and medical nutrition therapy upon the direction or prescription of those services by the enrollee’s participating physician. If a plan delegates outpatient self-management training to contracting providers, the plan shall require contracting providers to ensure that diabetes outpatient self-management training, education, and medical nutrition therapy are provided by appropriately licensed or registered health care professionals.

(e)  The diabetes outpatient self-management training, education, and medical nutrition therapy services identified in subdivision (d) shall be provided by appropriately licensed or registered health care professionals as prescribed by a participating health care professional legally authorized to prescribe the service. These benefits shall include, but not be limited to, instruction that will enable diabetic patients and their families to gain an understanding of the diabetic disease process, and the daily management of diabetic therapy, in order to thereby avoid frequent hospitalizations and complications.

(f)  The copayments for the benefits specified in subdivision (d) shall not exceed those established for physician office visits by the plan.

(g)  Every health care service plan governed by this section shall disclose the benefits covered pursuant to this section in the plan’s evidence of coverage and disclosure forms.

(h)  A health care service plan may not reduce or eliminate coverage as a result of the requirements of this section.

(i)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to deny or restrict in any way the department‘s authority to ensure plan compliance with this chapter when a plan provides coverage for prescription drugs.

(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 791, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2003.)