1.    An insurance company, nonprofit health service corporation, or health maintenance organization may not deliver, issue, execute, or renew any health insurance policy or health service contract on a group, blanket, franchise, or association basis unless the policy or contract provides benefits, of the same type offered under the policy or contract for other illnesses, for health services to any individual covered under the policy or contract, for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of alcoholism, drug addiction, or other related illness, which benefits meet or exceed the benefits provided in subsection 2.

2.    The benefits must be provided for inpatient treatment, treatment by partial hospitalization, and outpatient treatment:

a.    In the case of benefits provided for inpatient treatment, the benefits must be provided for a minimum of sixty days of services covered under this section and section 26.1-36-09 in any calendar year. Services provided under this subdivision must be provided by an addiction treatment program licensed under chapter 50-31.

b.    In the case of benefits provided for partial hospitalization, the benefits must be provided for a minimum of one hundred twenty days of services covered under this section and section 26.1-36-09 in any calendar year. Services provided under this subdivision must be provided by an addiction treatment program licensed under chapter 50-31. For services provided in regional human service centers, charges must be reasonably similar to the charges for care provided by hospitals as defined in this subsection.

c. Benefits may also be provided for a combination of inpatient and partial hospitalization treatment. For the purpose of computing the period for which benefits are payable, each day of inpatient treatment is equivalent to two days of treatment by partial hospitalization, provided that no more than forty-six days of the inpatient treatment benefits required by this section may be traded for treatment by partial hospitalization.

d.    In the case of benefits provided for outpatient treatment, the benefits must be provided for a minimum of twenty visits for services covered under this section in any calendar year, provided the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment services are provided within the scope of licensure by a licensed physician, a licensed psychologist who is eligible for listing on the national register of health service providers in psychology, or the treatment services are provided within the scope of licensure by a licensed addiction counselor. The insurance company, nonprofit health service corporation, or health maintenance organization may not establish a deductible or a copayment for the first five visits in any calendar year, and may not establish a copayment greater than twenty percent for the remaining visits. The deductible limitation of this subdivision does not apply to a high-deductible health plan used to establish a health savings account pursuant to and as defined in section 223 of the Internal Revenue Code [26 U.S.C. § 223].

e.    If the services are provided by a provider outside a preferred provider network without a referral from within the network, the insurance company, nonprofit health service corporation, or health maintenance organization may establish a copayment greater than twenty percent for only those visits after the first five visits in any calendar year.

f.    As used in this section and section 26.1-36-08.1, partial hospitalization means continuous treatment for at least three hours, but not more than twelve hours, in any twenty-four-hour period and includes the medically necessary treatment services provided by licensed professionals under the supervision of a licensed physician.

3.    This section does not prevent any insurance company, nonprofit health service corporation, or health maintenance organization from issuing, delivering, or renewing, at its option, any policy or contract containing provisions similar to those required by this section, when the policy or contract is not subject to such provisions.