PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
An Act Relating to Orally Administered Cancer Therapy
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  24 MRSA §2320-H  is enacted to read:
§ 2320-H. Orally administered cancer therapy
All individual and group nonprofit hospital and medical services plan policies, contracts and certificates and all nonprofit health care plan policies, contracts and certificates that provide coverage for cancer chemotherapy treatment must provide coverage for prescribed, orally administered anticancer medications used to kill or slow the growth of cancerous cells that is equivalent to the coverage provided for intravenously administered or injected anticancer medications. An increase in patient cost sharing for anticancer medications may not be used to achieve compliance with this section.
Sec. 2.  24-A MRSA §2745-H  is enacted to read:
§ 2745-H. Orally administered cancer therapy
All individual insurance policies, contracts and certificates that provide coverage for cancer chemotherapy treatment must provide coverage for prescribed, orally administered anticancer medications used to kill or slow the growth of cancerous cells that is equivalent to the coverage provided for intravenously administered or injected anticancer medications. An increase in patient cost sharing for anticancer medications may not be used to achieve compliance with this section.
Sec. 3.  24-A MRSA §2837-I  is enacted to read:
§ 2837-I. Orally administered cancer therapy
All group insurance policies, contracts and certificates that provide coverage for cancer chemotherapy treatment must provide coverage for prescribed, orally administered anticancer medications used to kill or slow the growth of cancerous cells that is equivalent to the coverage provided for intravenously administered or injected anticancer medications. An increase in patient cost sharing for anticancer medications may not be used to achieve compliance with this section.
Sec. 4.  24-A MRSA §4234-F  is enacted to read:
§ 4234-F. Orally administered cancer therapy
All individual and group health maintenance organization policies, contracts and certificates that provide coverage for cancer chemotherapy treatment must provide coverage for prescribed, orally administered anticancer medications used to kill or slow the growth of cancerous cells that is equivalent to the coverage provided for intravenously administered or injected anticancer medications. An increase in patient cost sharing for anticancer medications may not be used to achieve compliance with this section.
Sec. 5. Application. This Act applies to all policies, contracts and certificates executed, delivered, issued for delivery, continued or renewed in this State on or after October 1, 2013. For purposes of this Act, all contracts are deemed to be renewed no later than the next yearly anniversary of the contract date.
 
SUMMARY
This bill requires health insurance policies that cover cancer chemotherapy to include coverage for orally administered anticancer medications.