Section 33-29-3.3. Coverage for bone marrow transplants for the treatment of breast cancer and Hodgkin's disease; optional endorsement; requirements; guidelines; applicability

   (a) Every insurer authorized to issue individual accident and sickness insurance plans, policies, or contracts shall be required to make available, either as a part of or as an optional endorsement to all such policies providing major medical insurance coverage which are issued, delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after July 1, 1995, coverage for bone marrow transplants for the treatment of breast cancer and Hodgkin's disease. Such coverage shall be at least as extensive and provide at least the same degree of coverage as that provided by the respective plan, policy, or contract for the treatment of other types of physical illnesses. Such an optional endorsement shall also provide that the coverage required to be made available pursuant to this Code section shall also cover the spouse and the dependents of the insured if the insured's spouse and dependents are covered under such benefit plan, policy, or contract.

(b) The optional endorsement required to be made available under subsection (a) of this Code section shall not contain any exclusions, reductions, or other limitations as to coverages, deductibles, or coinsurance provisions which apply to bone marrow transplants for the treatment of breast cancer and Hodgkin's disease unless such provisions apply generally to other similar benefits provided or paid for under the accident and sickness insurance benefit plan, policy, or contract.

(c) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to prohibit an insurer, nonprofit corporation, health care plan, health maintenance organization, or other person issuing any similar individual accident and sickness insurance benefit plan, policy, or contract from issuing or continuing to issue an individual accident and sickness insurance benefit plan, policy, or contract which provides benefits greater than the minimum benefits required to be made available under this Code section or from issuing any such plans, policies, or contracts which provide benefits which are generally more favorable to the insured than those required to be made available under this Code section.

(d) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to prohibit the inclusion of coverage for bone marrow transplants for the treatment of breast cancer and Hodgkin's disease that differs from the coverage provided in the same insurance plan, policy, or contract for physical illnesses if the policyholder does not purchase the optional coverage made available pursuant to this Code section.

(e) The provisions of this Code section shall apply to individual accident and sickness insurance policies issued by a fraternal benefit society, a nonprofit hospital service corporation, a nonprofit medical service corporation, a health care plan, a health maintenance organization, or any similar entity.

Code 1981, § 33-29-3.3, enacted by Ga. L. 1995, p. 459, § 1.