SB 146 - This act requires health carriers that offer health benefit plans in this state on or after January 1, 2004, to provide coverage for mental health conditions. Mental health conditions are defined as those listed in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Coverage for mental health conditions cannot have rates, terms, or conditions that place a greater financial burden on an insured for mental health condition than for physical health condition. This mandated benefit shall not apply to supplemental insurance policies, life care contracts, accident-only policies, specified disease policies or other specific policies.

The act also modifies some of the standards for chemical dependency coverage and repeals several sections relating to mental illness and addictive disorders. The sections repealed include current exceptions to the requirement that health insurers who cover services for mental illness and addictive disorders provide the same coverage as they do for physical illness. These provisions include exceptions that allow insurers to limit inpatient hospital treatment for mental illness to 90 days per year (Section 376.811.2), place annual and lifetime limits on alcohol and drug abuse treatment services (Section 376.827), and exclude or apply different limits to certain specified services (Section 376.833).

This act is similar to SB 1141 and HB 1440 (2002).
STEPHEN WITTE