PRINTER'S NO. 1420

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No. 1262 Session of 1997

        INTRODUCED BY CURRY, GEORGE, McGEEHAN, BEBKO-JONES, OLASZ,
           TRELLO, SANTONI, MELIO, MARKOSEK, BELARDI, HALUSKA, STURLA,
           GORDNER, WALKO, TIGUE, ROONEY, COY, BOSCOLA, C. WILLIAMS,
           PISTELLA, STABACK, MYERS, STEELMAN, MIHALICH, LEVDANSKY,
           WAUGH, JOSEPHS, VEON, DeLUCA, SCHRODER, SURRA, RAMOS AND
           CORRIGAN, APRIL 9, 1997

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INSURANCE, APRIL 9, 1997

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of July 2, 1996 (P.L.514, No.85), entitled "An
     2     act providing for certain health insurance benefits to aid
     3     the health and well-being of mother and child following the
     4     birth of a child; and prohibiting certain practices by
     5     insurers," providing for prohibition.

     6     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     7  hereby enacts as follows:
     8     Section 1.  The act of July 2, 1996 (P.L.514, No.85), known
     9  as the Health Security Act, is amended by adding a section to
    10  read:
    11  Section 4.1.  Prohibitions.
    12     An insurer may not:
    13         (1)  deny to the mother or her newborn child eligibility
    14     or continued eligibility to enroll or to renew coverage under
    15     the terms of the plan, solely for the purpose of avoiding the
    16     requirements of section 3;
    17         (2)  provide monetary payments or rebates to mothers to

     1     encourage such mothers to accept less than the minimum
     2     protections available under section 3;
     3         (3)  penalize or otherwise reduce or limit the
     4     reimbursement of an attending provider because such provider
     5     provided care to an individual participant or beneficiary in
     6     accordance with section 3;
     7         (4)  provide incentives, monetary or otherwise, to an
     8     attending provider to induce such provider to provide care to
     9     an individual participant or beneficiary in a manner
    10     inconsistent with this act; or
    11         (5)  restrict benefits for any portion of a period within
    12     a hospital length of stay required under section 3, in a
    13     manner which is less favorable than the benefits provided for
    14     any preceding portion of such stay.
    15     Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.










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