2009-01-21                     Senate Journal                      Page 0028
SB 21                                                                                                                         
SENATE BILL NO. 21 BY SENATORS DAVIS, Ellis, entitled:                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
   "An Act requiring health care insurers to provide coverage for                                                               
   treatment of mental health, alcoholism, and substance abuse                                                                  
   conditions, and requiring parity between health care insurance                                                               
   coverage for mental health, alcoholism, and substance abuse                                                                  
   benefits and other medical care benefits; eliminating different                                                              
   treatment for mental health conditions from the minimum                                                                      
   benefits of the state health insurance plan; removing an                                                                     
   exclusion for mental health services or alcohol or drug abuse                                                                
   from the definition of basic health care services in the law                                                                 
   relating to health maintenance organizations; repealing a                                                                    
   provision that allows optional insurance coverage for treatment                                                              
   of alcoholism and drug abuse based on the number of                                                                          
   employees and the duration of employment; repealing a                                                                        
   definition of costs applicable solely to treatment for alcoholism                                                            
   and drug abuse, including a provision that allows the cost for                                                               
   treatment of alcoholism and drug abuse to be determined by the                                                               
   insurance contract or by a contract between the treatment                                                                    
   provider and the health care insurer; repealing a definition of                                                              
   mental health benefits that excludes treatment of substance                                                                  
   abuse or chemical dependency; and providing for an effective                                                                 
   date."                                                                                                                       
   (Prefile released January 9, 2009)                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                

2009-01-21                     Senate Journal                      Page 0029
was read the first time and referred to the Health and Social Services,                                                         
Labor and Commerce and Finance Committees.