1746                                          LAWS OF MARYLAND                        [Ch. 478

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That Sections 354D(a), 470E (a) and 477E (a) of
Article 48A - Insurance Code, of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1972 Replacement Volume and 1973 Supplement) be
and they are hereby repealed and re—enacted, with
amendments, to read as follows:

Article 48A — Insurance Code
354D.

(a) Every [[health]] HOSPITAL OR MAJOR MEDICAL
insurance policy delivered or issued for deliverance
under this subtitle to any person in this State by a
nonprofit health service organization, including both
individual policies and group policies, must include
benefits for expenses arising from treatment of acute
mental illnesses and emotional disorders which in the
professional judgment of practitioners are subject to
significant improvement through short—term therapy.
These benefits must be at least equal to the following
minimum requirements: (1) With respect to benefits for
confinement as an inpatient in a hospital, the period of
confinement for which benefits are payable shall be at
least thirty (30) days in any calendar year OR BENEFIT
PERIOD; (2) with respect to major medical expense
coverage, benefits, after the applicable deductible, for
covered expenses arising from [[partial hospitalization,
day hospitalization, or]] [out—patient treatment,] ALL
THOSE SERVICES, OTHER THAN INPATIENT, WHICH ARE RENDERED
TO TREAT ACUTE MENTAL ILLNESS AND EMOTIONAL DISORDERS,
shall be at a rate which is not less than [twenty—five
percent (25%) nor more than eighty percent (80%) ] [[50
PERCENT]] twenty—five percent nor more than eighty
percent of the benefits which the policy provides for
other types of illness.

470E.

(a) Every individual [[health]] HOSPITAL OR MAJOR
MEDICAL insurance policy delivered or issued for
deliverance under this subtitle to any person in this
State must include benefits for expenses arising from
treatment of acute mental illnesses and emotional
disorders which in the professional judgment of
practitioners are subject to significant improvement
through short term therapy. These benefits must be at
least equal to the following minimum requirements: (1)
with respect to benefits for confinement as an in—patient
in a hospital, the period of confinement for which
benefits are payable shall be at least thirty (30) days
in any calendar year OR BENEFIT PERIOD; (2) with respect
to major medical expense coverage, benefits, after the
applicable deductible, for covered expenses arising from