Scroll to History Page
Scroll to Previous Versions Links List
Scroll to Full Text
Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format
Current Status Bill Number:View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.4414 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:House Introduced Date:20020108 Primary Sponsor:Talley All Sponsors:Talley, Clyburn, Trotter Drafted Document Number:l:\council\bills\skb\18105zcw02.doc Residing Body:House Current Committee:Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee 26 HLCI Subject:Morbid obesity, health insurers required to offer optional rider for treatment of History Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ ______________________________________ _______ ____________ House 20020206 Co-Sponsor added (Rule 5.2) by Rep. Trotter House 20020108 Introduced, read first time, 26 HLCI referred to Committee House 20011212 Prefiled, referred to Committee 26 HLCI Versions of This Bill
TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 38-71-155 SO AS TO REQUIRE HEALTH INSURANCE ISSUERS TO OFFER AN OPTIONAL RIDER OR ENDORSEMENT TO PROVIDE FOR THE TREATMENT OF MORBID OBESITY AND TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 38-71-155. (A) If a health insurance issuer offers any health insurance coverage that does not provide coverage for the treatment of morbid obesity, it must offer an optional rider or endorsement to the insured or subscriber under an individual policy or a certificate holder or subscriber under a master policy, to provide for the treatment of morbid obesity through gastric bypass surgery or other methods recognized by the National Institutes of Health as being effective for long-term reversal of morbid obesity. Any additional cost to the insured or policyholder or certificate holder must be reasonably related to the benefits provided.
(B) For purposes of this section:
(1) 'health insurance coverage' means coverage as defined in Sections 38-71-670(6) and 38-71-840(14);
(2) 'health insurance issuer' means an 'issuer' as defined in Sections 38-71-670(7) and 38-71-840(16); and
(3) 'morbid obesity' means a body mass index that is:
(i) greater than forty kilograms per meter squared; or
(ii) equal to or greater than thirty-five kilograms per meter squared with a comorbid medical condition, including hypertension, a cardiopulmonary condition, sleep apnea, or diabetes."
SECTION 2 This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
This web page was last updated on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at 11:34 A.M.