Mo. Rev. Stat. § 376.811

Current with changes from the 2024 Legislative Session

Section 376.811 - Coverage required for chemical dependency by all insurance and health service corporations - minimum standards - offer of coverage may be accepted or rejected by policyholders, companies may offer as standard coverage - mental health benefits provided, when - exclusions

1. Every insurance company and health services corporation doing business in this state shall offer in all health insurance policies benefits or coverage for chemical dependency meeting the following minimum standards:

(1) Coverage for outpatient treatment through a nonresidential treatment program, or through partial- or full-day program services, of not less than twenty-six days per policy benefit period;

(2) Coverage for residential treatment program of not less than twenty-one days per policy benefit period;

(3) Coverage for medical or social setting detoxification of not less than six days per policy benefit period;

(4) Coverage for medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders for use in treating such patient's condition, including opioid-use and heroin-use disorders;

(5) The coverages set forth in this subsection may be subject to a separate lifetime frequency cap of not less than ten episodes of treatment, except that such separate lifetime frequency cap shall not apply to medical detoxification in a life-threatening situation as determined by the treating physician and subsequently documented within forty-eight hours of treatment to the reasonable satisfaction of the insurance company or health services corporation; and

(6) The coverages set forth in this subsection:

(a) Shall be subject to the same coinsurance, co-payment and deductible factors as apply to physical illness;

(b) May be administered pursuant to a managed care program established by the insurance company or health services corporation; and

(c) May deliver covered services through a system of contractual arrangements with one or more providers, hospitals, nonresidential or residential treatment programs, or other mental health service delivery entities certified by the department of mental health, or accredited by a nationally recognized organization, or licensed by the state of Missouri.

2. In addition to the coverages set forth in subsection 1 of this section, every insurance company, health services corporation and health maintenance organization doing business in this state shall offer in all health insurance policies, benefits or coverages for recognized mental illness, excluding chemical dependency, meeting the following minimum standards:

(1) Coverage for outpatient treatment, including treatment through partial- or full-day program services, for mental health services for a recognized mental illness rendered by a licensed professional to the same extent as any other illness;

(2) Coverage for residential treatment programs for the therapeutic care and treatment of a recognized mental illness when prescribed by a licensed professional and rendered in a psychiatric residential treatment center licensed by the department of mental health or accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals to the same extent as any other illness;

(3) Coverage for inpatient hospital treatment for a recognized mental illness to the same extent as for any other illness, not to exceed ninety days per year;

(4) The coverages set forth in this subsection shall be subject to the same coinsurance, co-payment, deductible, annual maximum and lifetime maximum factors as apply to physical illness; and

(5) The coverages set forth in this subsection may be administered pursuant to a managed care program established by the insurance company, health services corporation or health maintenance organization, and covered services may be delivered through a system of contractual arrangements with one or more providers, community mental health centers, hospitals, nonresidential or residential treatment programs, or other mental health service delivery entities certified by the department of mental health, or accredited by a nationally recognized organization, or licensed by the state of Missouri.

3. The offer required by sections 376.810 to 376.814 may be accepted or rejected by the group or individual policyholder or contract holder and, if accepted, shall fully and completely satisfy and substitute for the coverage under section 376.779. Nothing in sections 376.810 to 376.814 shall prohibit an insurance company, health services corporation or health maintenance organization from including all or part of the coverages set forth in sections 376.810 to 376.814 as standard coverage in their policies or contracts issued in this state.

4. Every insurance company, health services corporation and health maintenance organization doing business in this state shall offer in all health insurance policies mental health benefits or coverage as part of the policy or as a supplement to the policy. Such mental health benefits or coverage shall include at least two sessions per year to a licensed psychiatrist, licensed psychologist, licensed professional counselor, licensed clinical social worker, or, subject to contractual provisions, a licensed marital and family therapist, acting within the scope of such license and under the following minimum standards:

(1) Coverage and benefits in this subsection shall be for the purpose of diagnosis or assessment, but not dependent upon findings; and

(2) Coverage and benefits in this subsection shall not be subject to any conditions of preapproval, and shall be deemed reimbursable as long as the provisions of this subsection are satisfied; and

(3) Coverage and benefits in this subsection shall be subject to the same coinsurance, co-payment and deductible factors as apply to regular office visits under coverages and benefits for physical illness.

5. If the group or individual policyholder or contract holder rejects the offer required by this section, then the coverage shall be governed by the mental health and chemical dependency insurance act as provided in sections 376.825 to 376.836*.

6. This section shall not apply to a supplemental insurance policy, including a life care contract, accident-only policy, specified disease policy, hospital policy providing a fixed daily benefit only, Medicare supplement policy, long-term care policy, hospitalization-surgical care policy, short-term major medical policy of six months or less duration, or any other supplemental policy as determined by the director of the department of commerce and insurance.

§ 376.811, RSMo

Amended by 2018 Mo. Laws, SB 951,s A, eff. 8/28/2018.

Amended by 2018 Mo. Laws, SB 718,s A, eff. 7/9/2018.

L. 1991 S.B. 352 § 7 subsecs. 2, 3, 4, A.L. 1997 H.B. 335, A.L. 1999 H.B. 191, A.L. 2004H.B. 855, A.L. 2009H.B. 326 merged with S.B. 296