PRINTER'S NO. 347
No. 301 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY JAMES, GEORGE, BISHOP, STABACK, LAUGHLIN,
MARKOSEK, WASHINGTON, TRAVAGLIO, BELFANTI, CAWLEY, KIRKLAND,
MELIO, CORRIGAN, WATERS, J. WILLIAMS, BEBKO-JONES, CURRY,
THOMAS, CRUZ, HORSEY, YOUNGBLOOD, PALLONE, SOLOBAY, SAINATO,
HARHAI, COSTA, HERSHEY, KOTIK, SHANER AND CIVERA,
FEBRUARY 18, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INSURANCE, FEBRUARY 18, 2003
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), entitled "An
2 act relating to insurance; amending, revising, and
3 consolidating the law providing for the incorporation of
4 insurance companies, and the regulation, supervision, and
5 protection of home and foreign insurance companies, Lloyds
6 associations, reciprocal and inter-insurance exchanges, and
7 fire insurance rating bureaus, and the regulation and
8 supervision of insurance carried by such companies,
9 associations, and exchanges, including insurance carried by
10 the State Workmen's Insurance Fund; providing penalties; and
11 repealing existing laws," providing for reimbursement for
12 cancer therapy.
13 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
14 hereby enacts as follows:
15 Section 1. Section 631 of the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682,
16 No.284), known as The Insurance Company Law of 1921, added July
17 7, 1989 (P.L.228, No.37), is amended to read:
18 Section 631. Reimbursement for Cancer Therapy.--(a)
19 Whenever any individual or group health, sickness or accident
20 insurance policy or subscriber contract or certificate issued by
21 any entity subject to 40 Pa.C.S. Chs. 61 (relating to hospital
1 plan corporations) and 63 (relating to professional health
2 services plan corporations), this act, or the act of [July 29,
3 1977 (P.L.105, No.38), known as the "Fraternal Benefit Society
4 Code,"] December 29, 1972 (P.L.1701, No.364), known as the
5 "Health Maintenance Organization Act," providing hospital or
6 medical/surgical coverage includes within their coverage
7 benefits for cancer chemotherapy and cancer hormone treatments
8 and services which have been approved by the United States Food
9 and Drug Administration for general use in treatment of cancer,
10 the covered individual shall be entitled to benefits for cancer
11 chemotherapy and cancer hormone treatments, whether performed in
12 a physician's office, in an outpatient department of a hospital,
13 in a hospital as a hospital inpatient or in any other medically
14 appropriate treatment setting.
15 (b) Nothing in this section shall serve to diminish the
16 benefits of any insured or subscriber in effect on the effective
17 date of this act, nor prevent the offering or acceptance of
18 benefits which exceed the minimum benefits required by this
19 section.
20 (c) This section shall apply to those insurance policies,
21 subscriber contracts or certificates issued or entered into on
22 or after the effective date of this section.
23 (d) The coverage required under this section shall not be
24 subject to any deductible or copayment requirement.
25 Section 2. The amendment of section 631 of the act shall
26 apply to those insurance policies, subscriber contracts or
27 certificates issued or entered into on or after the effective
28 date of this act.
29 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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