Ch. 2                                       1994 LAWS OF MARYLAND

(iii) The insurance company, as a condition precedent to the allowance
for benefits for residency in a psychiatric halfway house, may require the certification in
writing by a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist that residency in a psychiatric halfway
house is medically necessary either in lieu of or in combination with confinement as an
inpatient in a hospital and wilt reduce the length of confinement as an inpatient in a
hospital;

(iv) The total benefits payable for treatment as an inpatient in a
hospital or residency in a psychiatric halfway house or a combination of both may not
exceed the cost of benefits available annually for treatment as an inpatient in a hospital.

(b) The provisions of this section apply to all policies issued, renewed, modified
altered, amended; or reissued on or after July 1, 1973.]                                     

[477M.

(a) After January i, 1977, every insurer which proposes to issue a group hospital
policy in Maryland shall offer the prospective group policyholder at an appropriate
premium adjustment; if any, the option of providing benefits for the cost of psychiatric
care through partial hospitalization.                                            

(b)     As used in this section, partial hospitalization means a psychiatric service
offered in a hospital of in a psychiatric day-care treatment center of in a community
mental health facility providing medically directed intensive of intermediate short-term
psychiatric treatment for a period of less than 24 hours but more than 4 hours in a day for
any individual patient.

(c)     Benefits shall provide for psychiatric care for a minimum of 30 partial
hospitalization treatment days during any period of 12 consecutive months.

(d)     For purposes of this section, any proposed change in benefits provided by an
existing group hospital policy shall be considered a proposal to issue a policy under
subsection (a).                                                                                                                          

(e)     The provisions of this section shall apply only if, ah initial enrollment of at
least 25 certificate holders under the new or revised group policy can reasonably be
expected.]

[490F.               

(a) Any group contract that is issued on an expense incurred basis; including one
issued by a nonprofit health service plan, shall provide at least the following minimum
benefits for the treatment of alcoholism and drug abuse in any calendar of policy year:

(1)     7 days of emergency cafe or detoxification in an acute general hospital
or a nonhospital detoxification facility licensed by the Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene;

(2)     30 days care for the treatment of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, or
alcoholism, in ah alcohol and drug abuse facility licensed by the Department of Health
arid Mental Hygiene; and

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