(7)__For the purposes of this section, medication management visits associated with a mental illness must be covered in the same manner as a medication management visit for the treatment of a physical illness and may not be counted in the calculation of any maximum outpatient treatment visit limits.

This subsection does not apply to policies, contracts or certificates covering employees of employers with 20 or fewer employees, whether the group policy is issued to the employer, to an association, to a multiple-employer trust or to another entity.

This subsection may not be construed to allow coverage and benefits for the treatment of alcoholism and other drug dependencies through the diagnosis of a mental illness listed in paragraph A.

Sec. VV-21. 24-A MRSA §4234-A, sub-§7, as amended by PL 1995, c. 637, §7, is further amended to read:

7. Mandated offer of coverage for certain mental illnesses. Except as provided in subsection 6, coverage for medical or psychiatric treatment for mental illnesses listed in paragraph A by all individual and group contracts is subject to this subsection.

A. All individual and group contracts must make available coverage providing, at a minimum, benefits according to paragraph B, subparagraph (1) for a person receiving medical or psychiatric treatment for any of the following mental illnesses diagnosed by a licensed allopathic or osteopathic physician or, a licensed psychologist who is trained and has received a doctorate in psychology specializing in the evaluation and treatment of human behavior mental illness:

(1) Schizophrenia;

(2) Bipolar disorder;

(3) Pervasive developmental disorder, or autism;