Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2756 – Coverage for contraceptives
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1. Coverage requirements. All individual health policies and contracts, except accidental injury, specified disease, hospital indemnity, Medicare supplement, disability income, long-term care and other limited benefit health insurance policies and contracts, that provide coverage for prescription drugs or outpatient medical services must provide coverage for all prescription contraceptives approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration or for outpatient contraceptive services, respectively, to the same extent that coverage is provided for other prescription drugs or outpatient medical services. For purposes of this section, the term “outpatient contraceptive services” means consultations, examinations, procedures and medical services provided on an outpatient basis and related to the use of contraceptive methods to prevent an unintended pregnancy. This section may not be construed to apply to prescription drugs or devices that are designed to terminate a pregnancy.
[PL 1999, c. 341, §2 (NEW); PL 1999, c. 341, §5 (AFF).]
Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2756
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- health insurance: means insurance of human beings against bodily injury, disablement or death by accident or accidental means, or the expense thereof, or against disablement or expense resulting from sickness, and every insurance appertaining thereto, including provision for the mental and emotional welfare of human beings by defraying the costs of legal services only to the extent provided for in chapter 38. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 704
- insured: as used in this chapter , shall not be construed as preventing a person other than the insured with a proper insurable interest from making application for and owning a policy covering the insured or from being entitled under such a policy to any indemnities, benefits and rights provided therein. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A Sec. 2731
- United States: includes territories and the District of Columbia. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
2. Exclusion for religious employer. A religious employer may request and an insurer shall grant an exclusion under the policy or contract for the coverage required by this section if the required coverage conflicts with the religious employer’s bona fide religious beliefs and practices. A religious employer that obtains an exclusion under this subsection shall provide prospective insureds and those individuals insured under its policy written notice of the exclusion. This section may not be construed as authorizing an insurer to exclude coverage for prescription drugs prescribed for reasons other than contraceptive purposes or for prescription contraception that is necessary to preserve the life or health of a covered person. For the purposes of this section, “religious employer” means an employer that is a church, convention or association of churches or an elementary or secondary school that is controlled, operated or principally supported by a church or by a convention or association of churches as defined in 26 United States Code § 3121 (w) (3) (A) and that qualifies as a tax-exempt organization under 26 United States Code § 501(c) (3).
[PL 1999, c. 341, §2 (NEW); PL 1999, c. 341, §5 (AFF).]
3. Coverage of contraceptive supplies. Coverage required under this section must include coverage for contraceptive supplies in accordance with the following requirements. For purposes of this section, “contraceptive supplies” means all contraceptive drugs, devices and products approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.
A. Coverage must be provided without any deductible, coinsurance, copayment or other cost-sharing requirement. [PL 2021, c. 609, §2 (AMD).]
B. If the federal Food and Drug Administration has approved one or more therapeutic equivalents of a contraceptive supply, an insurer is not required to cover all those therapeutically equivalent versions in accordance with this subsection, as long as at least one is covered without any deductible, coinsurance, copayment or other cost-sharing requirement in accordance with this subsection. [PL 2021, c. 609, §2 (AMD).]
C. [PL 2021, c. 609, §2 (RP).]
D. Coverage must be provided for the furnishing or dispensing of prescribed contraceptive supplies intended to last for a 12-month period, which may be furnished or dispensed all at once or over the course of the 12 months at the discretion of the health care provider. [PL 2017, c. 190, §1 (NEW).]
[PL 2021, c. 609, §2 (AMD).]
Revisor’s Note: §2756. Coverage for services of certified nurse practitioners; certified nurse midwives (As enacted by PL 1999, c. 396, §2 and affected by §7 is REALLOCATED TO TITLE 24-A, SECTION 2757)
Revisor’s Note: §2756. Coverage for services provided by registered nurse first assistants (As enacted by PL 1999, c. 412, §2 is REALLOCATED TO TITLE 24-A, SECTION 2758)
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1999, c. 341, §2 (NEW). PL 1999, c. 341, §5 (AFF). PL 1999, c. 396, §2 (NEW). PL 1999, c. 396, §7 (AFF). PL 1999, c. 412, §2 (NEW). RR 1999, c. 1, §§32,33 (RAL). PL 2017, c. 190, §1 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 609, §2 (AMD).