§ 56-7-2363 — Colorectal cancer early detection

(a) All individual and group health insurance policies providing coverage on an expense incurred basis, individual and group service contracts issued by a health maintenance organization, all self-insured group arrangements to the extent not preempted by federal law and all managed health care delivery entities of any type or description, that are delivered or issued on or after January 1, 2004, in this state shall include, or shall offer to prospective policyholders and existing policyholders on renewal, as an optional benefit, coverage for colorectal cancer examinations and laboratory tests specified in current American Cancer Society guidelines or federal Preventive Services Task Force guidelines for colorectal cancer screening of asymptomatic individuals. (b) The benefits required by this section shall be subject to the annual deductible and co-insurance established for all other similar benefits within the policy or contract; provided, that the annual deductible and co-insurance for the benefits required by this section are no greater than the annual deductible and co-insurance established for all other similar benefits within that policy or contract of insurance. (c) Nothing in this section shall apply to the TennCare program administered pursuant to the waivers approved by the federal department of health and human services, to accident-only, specified disease, hospital indemnity, medicare supplement, long-term care or other limited benefit health insurance policies, or to any health benefit that is individually underwritten.

Legislative History

Acts 2003, ch. 200, § 1.