1. Purpose. The Legislature recognizes that substance use disorder constitutes a major health problem in the State and in the Nation. The Legislature further recognizes that substance use disorder is a disease that can be effectively treated. As such, substance use disorder warrants the same attention from the health care industry as other serious diseases and illnesses. The Legislature further recognizes that health insurance contracts, at times, fail to provide adequate benefits for the treatment of substance use disorder, which results in more costly health care for treatment of complications caused by the lack of early intervention and other treatment services for persons suffering from substance use disorder. This situation causes a higher health care, social, law enforcement and economic cost to the citizens of this State than is necessary, including the need for the State to provide treatment to some insureds at public expense. To assist the many citizens of this State who suffer from this illness in a more cost-effective way, the Legislature declares that certain health insurance coverage providing benefits for the treatment of the illness of substance use disorder must be included in all group health insurance contracts.

2. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context indicates otherwise, the following terms have the following meanings.

3. Requirement. Every insurer that issues group health care contracts providing coverage for hospital care to residents of this State shall provide benefits as required in this section to any subscriber or other person covered under those contracts for the treatment of substance use disorder pursuant to a treatment plan.

4. Services; providers. Each group contract must provide, at a minimum, for the following coverage, pursuant to a treatment plan:

5. Exceptions. This section does not apply to employee group insurance policies issued to employers with 20 or fewer employees insured under the group policy or to group policies designed primarily to supplement the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services, as described in the United States Code, title 10, § 1072, subsection 4.

6. Limits; coinsurance; deductibles. Any policy or contract that provides coverage for the services required by this section may contain provisions for maximum benefits and coinsurance, and reasonable limitations, deductibles and exclusions to the extent that these provisions are not inconsistent with the requirements of this section.

7. Notice. At the time of delivery or renewal, the group health insurer shall provide written notification to all individuals eligible for benefits under group policies or contracts of substance use disorder benefits.

8. Confidentiality. Substance use disorder treatment patient records are confidential.

9. Reports to the Superintendent of Insurance. Every insurer subject to this section shall report its experience for each calendar year beginning with 1984 to the superintendent not later than April 30th of the following year. The report must be in a form prescribed by the superintendent and must include the amount of claims paid in this State for the services required by this section and the total amount of claims paid in this State for group health care contracts, both separated between those paid for inpatient and outpatient services. The superintendent shall compile this data for all insurers in an annual report.

10. Application; expiration. The requirements of this section apply to all policies and any certificates or contracts executed, delivered, issued for delivery, continued or renewed in this State on or after January 1, 1984. For purposes of this section, all contracts are deemed to be renewed no later than the next yearly anniversary of the contract date.