00                            SENATE BILL NO. 170                                                                         
01 "An Act requiring that health care insurers provide insurance coverage for well-baby                                    
02 exams."                                                                                                                 
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. AS 21.42 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                  
05            Sec. 21.42.351. Coverage for well-baby exams. (a) A health care insurer that                               
06       offers health care insurance that covers a dependent of a covered individual shall,                               
07       initially and at each renewal, provide coverage for the cost of well-baby exams. The                              
08       coverage required by this section is subject to standard policy provisions applicable to                          
09       other benefits, including deductible or copayment provisions.                                                     
10            (b)  Coverage for well-baby exams under this section is limited to $1,500 in a                               
11       year for each covered baby.                                                                                       
12            (c)  In this section,                                                                                        
13                 (1)  "health care insurer" has the meaning given in AS 21.54.500;                                       
14                 (2)  "health care professional" means a health aide, physician, nurse,                                  

01       and physician assistant, but does not include a practitioner of religious healing;                                
02                 (3)  "well-baby exam" means                                                                             
03                      (A)  a periodic physical examination by a qualified health care                                    
04            professional of a baby during the first 24 months of life in which information is                            
05            collected on matters including normal development, growth rate, hearing,                                     
06            vision, language skills, motor development, diet, general care, preventative                                 
07            health care, immunizations, and infectious diseases; and                                                     
08                      (B)  consultation between the health care professional and a                                       
09            parent.