Mississippi Legislation

SB 2678 amends Section 83-9-37 of Mississippi Code of 1972 by adding new subsections to define the terms “health insurance issuer” and “nonquantitative treatment limitation.” Additionally, the bill amends section 83-9-39 by adding a new subsection to require insurers, including any entity that offers health insurance through a health benefit plan, policy or certificate of insurance that is subject to state law, must submit an annual report to the Commissioner of Insurance demonstrating compliance with parity using specified guidelines.

• The process used to develop or select the medical necessity criteria for mental illness benefits and that used for medical and surgical benefits
• All non quantitative treatment limitations (NQTL) applied to both mental illness and medical and surgical benefits
• Results of an analysis that demonstrates the medical necessity criteria and the NQTLs identified above, as written and in operation, the processes, strategies, evidentiary standards, and other factors used to apply the medical necessity criteria and each NQTL to mental illness benefits are applied no more stringently than those used to apply medical necessity criteria and NQTLs for medical and surgical benefits.

Among other things, this bill tried to add a section to the state insurance law about autism coverage. The insurance coverage part of this bill is identical to the insurance coverage part of HB 885 from the same legislative session, which was signed into law (this section is summarized at the bottom of this page under “Mississippi Parity Law,” “Autism Coverage”).

• No weekly hour limits for applied behavior analysis
• Plans can only review a child’s treatment plan once per year
• No age limits for coverage

This bill tried to change state law so that all plans under state jurisdiction that offer coverage for neurological disorders must also provide autism coverage that is “at least as compressive as those provided for other neurological disorders” for children through age 11. Deductibles and copayments for autism services must be “no more stringent” than those used for other neurological disorders.

This bill tried to change state law so that all plans under state jurisdiction that offer coverage for neurological disorders must also provide autism coverage that is “at least as compressive as those provided for other neurological disorders” for children through age 26. Deductibles and copayments for autism services must be “no more stringent” than those used for other neurological disorders.

This bill tried to change state law so that all plans under state jurisdiction that offer coverage for neurological disorders must also provide autism coverage that is “at least as compressive as those provided for other neurological disorders” for children through age 11. Deductibles and copayments for autism services must be “no more stringent” than those used for other neurological disorders.

• Coverage through age 20
• $50,000 annual maximum for treatment (can be adjusted for inflation)
• No outpatient visit limits are allowed
• No language exempting small employer fully-insured plans and individual plans that are required to cover essential health benefits by the Affordable Care Act
• Coverage for small employer fully-insured plans is not optional

• Coverage through age 20
• $50,000 annual maximum for applied behavior analysis (can be adjusted for inflation)
• No language exempting small employer fully-insured plans and individual plans that are required to cover essential health benefits by the Affordable Care Act
• Coverage for small employer fully-insured plans is not optional
• To be eligible for coverage, a child must be diagnosed with autism before age 10

• Coverage through age 20
• $50,000 annual maximum for treatment (can be adjusted for inflation)
• No outpatient visit limits are allowed
• No language exempting small employer fully-insured plans and individual plans that are required to cover essential health benefits by the Affordable Care Act
• Coverage for small employer fully-insured plans is not optional

This bill tried to change state law so that all plans under state jurisdiction that offer coverage for neurological disorders must also provide autism coverage that is “at least as compressive as those provided for other neurological disorders” for children through age 11. Deductibles and copayments for autism services must be “no more stringent” than those used for other neurological disorders.

• Coverage through age 20
• $50,000 annual maximum for applied behavior analysis (can be adjusted for inflation)
• No language exempting small employer fully-insured plans and individual plans that are required to cover essential health benefits by the Affordable Care Act
• Coverage for small employer fully-insured plans is not optional

• Coverage through age 20
• $50,000 annual maximum for applied behavior analysis (can be adjusted for inflation)
• No language exempting small employer fully-insured plans and individual plans that are required to cover essential health benefits by the Affordable Care Act
• Coverage for small employer fully-insured plans is not optional To be eligible for coverage, a child must be diagnosed with autism before age 10

• Coverage through age 20
• $50,000 annual maximum for treatment (can be adjusted for inflation)
• No outpatient visit limits are allowed
• No language exempting small employer fully-insured plans and individual plans that are required to cover essential health benefits by the Affordable Care Act
• Coverage for small employer fully-insured plans is not optional

• Does not apply to state employee and public employee plans
• Coverage through age 17
• $50,000 annual maximum for treatment (can be adjusted for inflation)
• No language exempting small employer fully-insured plans and individual plans that are required to cover essential health benefits by the Affordable Care Act
• Coverage for small employer fully-insured plans is not optional

• Coverage through age 20
• $50,000 annual maximum for treatment (can be adjusted for inflation)
• No outpatient visit limits are allowed
• No language exempting small employer fully-insured plans and individual plans that are required to cover essential health benefits by the Affordable Care Act
• Coverage for small employer fully-insured plans is not optional

This bill tried to change state law so that all plans under state jurisdiction that offer coverage for neurological disorders must also provide autism coverage that is “at least as compressive as those provided for other neurological disorders” for children through age 11. Deductibles and copayments for autism services must be “no more stringent” than those used for other neurological disorders.

• Coverage through age 20
• $50,000 annual maximum for applied behavior analysis (can be adjusted for inflation)
• No language exempting small employer fully-insured plans and individual plans that are required to cover essential health benefits by the Affordable Care Act
• Coverage for small employer fully-insured plans is not optional
• To be eligible for coverage, a child must be diagnosed with autism before age 10

• Coverage through age 20
• $50,000 annual maximum for autism treatment (can be adjusted for inflation)
• No language exempting small employer fully-insured plans and individual plans that are required to cover essential health benefits by the Affordable Care Act
• Coverage for small employer fully-insured plans is not optional

• Coverage through age 20
• $50,000 annual maximum for autism treatment (can be adjusted for inflation)
• No language exempting small employer fully-insured plans and individual plans that are required to cover essential health benefits by the Affordable Care Act
• Coverage for small employer fully-insured plans is not optional