Coverage for child health supervision services

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A. Every individual or group accident and sickness insurance policy, subscription contract providing coverage under a health services plan, or evidence of coverage of a health care plan delivered or issued for delivery in the Commonwealth or renewed, reissued, or extended if already issued, shall offer and make available coverage under such policy or plan for child health supervision services to provide for the periodic examination of children covered under such policy or plan.

B. As used in this section, the term "child health supervision services" means the periodic review of a child's physical and emotional status by a licensed and qualified physician or pursuant to a physician's supervision. A review shall include but not be limited to a history, complete physical examination, developmental assessment, anticipatory guidance, appropriate immunizations, and laboratory tests in keeping with prevailing medical standards.

C. Each such policy or plan, offering and making available such coverage, shall, at a minimum, provide benefits for child health supervision services at approximately the following age intervals: birth, two months, four months, six months, nine months, 12 months, 15 months, 18 months, two years, three years, four years, five years, and six years. A policy or plan may provide that child health supervision services which are rendered during a periodic review shall only be covered to the extent that such services are provided by or under the supervision of a single physician during the course of one visit.

D. Benefits for coverage for child health supervision services shall be exempt from any copayment, coinsurance, deductible, or other dollar limit provision in the policy or plan. Such exemption shall be expressly stated on the policy, plan, rider, endorsement, or other attachment providing such coverage.

E. The premiums for such coverage shall take into consideration (i) the cost of providing such coverage, (ii) cost savings realized or likely to be realized as a consequence of such coverage, (iii) a reasonable profit for the insurer, and (iv) any other relevant information or data the Commission deems appropriate.

F. This section shall not apply (i) to any insurer or health services plan having fewer than 1,000 covered individuals insured or covered in Virginia or less than $500,000 in premiums in Virginia as of its last annual statement, (ii) to short-term travel or accident only policies, (iii) to short-term nonrenewable policies of not more than six months' duration, or (iv) to specified disease, hospital indemnity or other limited benefit policies issued to provide supplemental benefits to a policy providing primary care benefits.

G. The provisions of this section shall not apply in any instance in which the provisions of this section are inconsistent or in conflict with a provision of Article 6 (§ 38.2-3438 et seq.) of Chapter 34.

1990, c. 901; 2000, c. 118; 2011, c. 882.


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