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benefit health insurance policies and contracts that provide | | coverage for prescription drugs or outpatient medical services must | | provide coverage for all prescription contraceptives approved by | | the federal Food and Drug Administration or for outpatient | | contraceptive services, respectively, to the same extent that | | coverage is provided for other prescription drugs or outpatient | | medical services.__For purposes of this section, the term | | "outpatient contraceptive services" means consultations, | | examinations, procedures and medical services provided on an | | outpatient basis and related to the use of contraceptive methods to | | prevent an unintended pregnancy. |
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| | | 2.__Prohibitions.__An insurance carrier that offers an group | | insurance policy or contract, except an accidental injury, | | specified disease, hospital indemnity, Medicare supplement, long- | | term care or other limited benefit health insurance policy or | | contract may not: |
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| | | A.__Deny to any individual or covered person eligibility or | | continued eligibility to enroll or to renew coverage under | | the terms of the policy or contract because of the | | individual's or covered person's use or potential use of | | items or services that are covered in accordance with the | | requirements of this section; |
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| | | B.__Provide monetary payments or rebates to a covered person | | to encourage that person to accept less than the minimum | | protections available under this section; |
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| | | C.__Penalize or otherwise reduce or limit the reimbursement | | of a health care professional because that professional | | prescribed contraceptive drugs or provided contraceptive | | services in accordance with this section; or |
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| | | D.__Provide incentives, monetary or otherwise, to a health | | care professional to induce that professional to withhold | | from a covered person contraceptive drugs or contraceptive | | services. |
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| | | Sec. 4. 24-A MRSA §4245 is enacted to read: |
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| | | §4245.__Coverage for contraceptives |
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| | | 1.__Coverage requirements.__All health maintenance | | organization individual and group health contracts that provide | | coverage for prescription drugs or outpatient medical services | | must provide coverage for all prescription contraceptives | | approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration or for | | outpatient contraceptive services, respectively, to the same | | extent that coverage is provided for other prescription drugs or | | outpatient medical services.__For purposes of this section, the |
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