CHAPTER 120
(House Bill 182)

AN ACT concerning

Patients' Bill of Rights Act of 1999

FOR the purpose of requiring certain health insurance carriers to establish and
implement a procedure that provides for a standing referral to a specialist under
specified circumstances; prohibiting certain health insurance carriers from
imposing a certain requirement; requiring certain health insurance carriers to
establish and implement a procedure that allows a specialist to act as a primary
care coordinator under specified circumstances; requiring certain health
insurance carriers to establish and implement a procedure that provides for a
referral to a specialist who is not part of a carrier's provider panel under
specified circumstances; providing that a decision by a carrier or a certain entity
not to provide access to or coverage of certain treatments or certain prescription
drugs or devices or certain prescription drugs or devices constitutes an adverse
decision under certain circumstances; requiring certain health insurance
carriers entities to establish and implement a procedure that provides for
coverage of certain prescription drugs and devices under specified
circumstances; requiring the Maryland Insurance Administration to serve as the
single point of entry for consumers to access certain information regarding
health insurance; providing for the funding of certain activities of the Maryland
Insurance Administration; requiring the Maryland Insurance Administration to
adopt certain regulations; requiring certain health insurance entities to provide
certain home visits to certain individuals who have undergone certain
procedures; requiring the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene to conduct a
certain review and submit a certain report; requiring the Maryland Insurance
Administration, in consultation with the Health Care Access and Cost
Commission, to perform a certain study and present findings to the House
Economic Matters Committee and the Senate Finance Committee by certain
dates; providing for the termination of certain provisions of this Act; requiring
certain health insurance carriers to provide a certain minimum length of
inpatient hospitalization coverage after a mastectomy, removal of a testicle,
lymph node dissection, or lumpectomy that is performed for the treatment of
breast or testicular cancer; defining certain terms; providing for the termination
of certain provisions of this Act; providing for the application of this Act; and
generally relating to health insurance, coverage, and access to services.

BY adding to

Article - Health - General
Section 19-706(ff)
Annotated Code of Maryland

(1996 Replacement Volume and 1998 Supplement)
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,