0001|                            HOUSE BILL 315
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                          EDWARD C. SANDOVAL
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|             FOR THE HEALTH AND WELFARE REFORM COMMITTEE
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0009|     
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0010|                                AN ACT
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0011|     RELATING TO INSURANCE; CREATING A MENTAL HEALTH INSURANCE
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0012|     PARITY PILOT PROGRAM FOR STATE EMPLOYEES; MAKING AN
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0013|     APPROPRIATION.
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0014|     
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0015|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0016|          Section 1.  MENTAL HEALTH INSURANCE PARITY--PILOT
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0017|     PROGRAM.--The risk management division of the general services
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0018|     department shall implement and maintain for fiscal years 1999
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0019|     and 2000 a mental health insurance parity pilot program
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0020|     providing behavioral health coverage for state employees.  The
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0021|     pilot program shall ensure that an insured with a severe,
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0022|     persistent, biologically based mental illness receives
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0023|     appropriate quality and quantity of treatment on a parity with
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0024|     an insured with any other physical illness with respect to the
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0025|     terms, conditions, rates, benefits or requirements of the
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0001|     insurance contract.  For purposes of this coverage, "severe,
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0002|     persistent, biologically based mental illness" means
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0003|     schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder,
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0004|     major depressive disorder, panic disorder or obsessive-
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0005|     compulsive disorder as defined in the leading international
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0006|     manuals on classification of diseases and diagnostic
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0007|     statistics.
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0008|          Section 2.  PROVIDER REIMBURSEMENT.--If the contracts or
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0009|     contract amendments establishing the mental health insurance
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0010|     parity pilot program authorized in Section 1 of this act are
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0011|     terminated prior to the end of fiscal year 2000, the general
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0012|     services department shall reimburse the insurance provider any
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0013|     extraordinary expenses incurred in providing benefits under
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0014|     the pilot program.  The terms and limitations of this
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0015|     reimbursement shall be stated in the contracts or contract
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0016|     amendments.
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0017|          Section 3.  APPROPRIATION.--One hundred fifty thousand
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0018|     dollars ($150,000) is appropriated from the general fund to
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0019|     the risk management division of the general services
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0020|     department for expenditure in fiscal year 1999 for the purpose
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0021|     of administering a mental health insurance parity pilot
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0022|     program.  Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at
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0023|     the end of fiscal year 1999 shall revert to the general fund.
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0024|                                       
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