1.  A health care plan issued by a health maintenance organization must provide coverage for screening for and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders and for treatment of autism spectrum disorders to persons covered by the health care plan under the age of 18 years or, if enrolled in high school, until the person reaches the age of 22 years.

Terms Used In Nevada Revised Statutes 695C.1717

  • Enrollee: means a natural person who has been voluntarily enrolled in a health care plan. See Nevada Revised Statutes 695C.030
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Health care plan: means any arrangement whereby any person undertakes to provide, arrange for, pay for or reimburse any part of the cost of any health care services and at least part of the arrangement consists of arranging for or the provision of health care services paid for by or on behalf of the enrollee on a periodic prepaid basis. See Nevada Revised Statutes 695C.030
  • Health maintenance organization: means any person which provides or arranges for provision of a health care service or services and is responsible for the availability and accessibility of such service or services to its enrollees, which services are paid for or on behalf of the enrollees on a periodic prepaid basis without regard to the dates health services are rendered and without regard to the extent of services actually furnished to the enrollees, except that supplementing the fixed prepayments by nominal additional payments for services in accordance with regulations adopted by the Commissioner shall not be deemed to render the arrangement not to be on a prepaid basis. See Nevada Revised Statutes 695C.030
  • person: means a natural person, any form of business or social organization and any other nongovernmental legal entity including, but not limited to, a corporation, partnership, association, trust or unincorporated organization. See Nevada Revised Statutes 0.039
  • physician: means a person who engages in the practice of medicine, including osteopathy and homeopathy. See Nevada Revised Statutes 0.040
  • Provider: means any physician, hospital or other person who is licensed or otherwise authorized in this state to furnish health care services. See Nevada Revised Statutes 695C.030
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.

2.  Coverage provided under this section is subject to:

(a) A maximum benefit of the actuarial equivalent of $72,000 per year for applied behavior analysis treatment; and

(b) Copayment, deductible and coinsurance provisions and any other general exclusion or limitation of a health care plan to the same extent as other medical services or prescription drugs covered by the plan.

3.  A health care plan issued by a health maintenance organization that provides coverage for outpatient care shall not:

(a) Require an enrollee to pay a higher deductible, copayment or coinsurance or require a longer waiting period for coverage for outpatient care related to autism spectrum disorders than is required for other outpatient care covered by the plan; or

(b) Refuse to issue a health care plan or cancel a health care plan solely because the person applying for or covered by the plan uses or may use in the future any of the services listed in subsection 1.

4.  Except as otherwise provided in subsections 1 and 2, a health maintenance organization shall not limit the number of visits an enrollee may make to any person, entity or group for treatment of autism spectrum disorders.

5.  Treatment of autism spectrum disorders must be identified in a treatment plan and may include medically necessary habilitative or rehabilitative care, prescription care, psychiatric care, psychological care, behavioral therapy or therapeutic care that is:

(a) Prescribed for a person diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder by a licensed physician or licensed psychologist; and

(b) Provided for a person diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder by a licensed physician, licensed psychologist, licensed behavior analyst or other provider that is supervised by the licensed physician, psychologist or behavior analyst. A health maintenance organization may request a copy of and review a treatment plan created pursuant to this subsection.

6.  Evidence of coverage subject to the provisions of this chapter that is delivered, issued for delivery or renewed on or after January 1, 2011, has the legal effect of including the coverage required by subsection 1, and any provision of the evidence of coverage or the renewal which is in conflict with subsection 1 or 2 is void.

7.  Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring a health maintenance organization to provide reimbursement to a school for services delivered through school services.

8.  As used in this section:

(a) ’Applied behavior analysis’ means the design, implementation and evaluation of environmental modifications using behavioral stimuli and consequences to produce socially significant improvement in human behavior, including, without limitation, the use of direct observation, measurement and functional analysis of the relations between environment and behavior.

(b) ’Autism spectrum disorder’ has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 427A.875.

(c) ’Behavioral therapy’ means any interactive therapy derived from evidence-based research, including, without limitation, discrete trial training, early intensive behavioral intervention, intensive intervention programs, pivotal response training and verbal behavior provided by a licensed psychologist, licensed behavior analyst, licensed assistant behavior analyst or registered behavior technician.

(d) ’Evidence-based research’ means research that applies rigorous, systematic and objective procedures to obtain valid knowledge relevant to autism spectrum disorders.

(e) ’Habilitative or rehabilitative care’ means counseling, guidance and professional services and treatment programs, including, without limitation, applied behavior analysis, that are necessary to develop, maintain and restore, to the maximum extent practicable, the functioning of a person.

(f) ’Licensed assistant behavior analyst’ has the meaning ascribed to the term ‘assistant behavior analyst’ in NRS 641D.020.

(g) ’Licensed behavior analyst’ has the meaning ascribed to the term ‘behavior analyst’ in NRS 641D.030.

(h) ’Prescription care’ means medications prescribed by a licensed physician and any health-related services deemed medically necessary to determine the need or effectiveness of the medications.

(i) ’Psychiatric care’ means direct or consultative services provided by a psychiatrist licensed in the state in which the psychiatrist practices.

(j) ’Psychological care’ means direct or consultative services provided by a psychologist licensed in the state in which the psychologist practices.

(k) ’Registered behavior technician’ has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 641D.100.

(l) ’Screening for autism spectrum disorders’ means medically necessary assessments, evaluations or tests to screen and diagnose whether a person has an autism spectrum disorder.

(m) ’Therapeutic care’ means services provided by licensed or certified speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists and physical therapists.

(n) ’Treatment plan’ means a plan to treat an autism spectrum disorder that is prescribed by a licensed physician or licensed psychologist and may be developed pursuant to a comprehensive evaluation in coordination with a licensed behavior analyst.

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