00SENATE BILL NO. 253                                                                                                     
01 "An Act relating to insurance coverage for costs of prostate cancer detection."                                         
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
03    * Section 1.  AS 21.42  is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                  
04  Sec. 21.42.395.  COVERAGE FOR PROSTATE CANCER DETECTION.  (a)                                                         
05 An insurer authorized under AS 21.09 to offer, issue for delivery, deliver, or renew an                                 
06 individual or group disability insurance policy for medical coverage on an expense                                      
07 incurred basis in the state, a hospital or medical service corporation authorized under                                 
08 AS 21.87 to offer or renew a subscriber's contract for medical coverage in the state,                                   
09 or a health maintenance organization authorized under AS 21.86 to offer an enrollee                                     
10 contract to provide health care services on a prepaid basis shall provide coverage for                                  
11 the costs of prostate cancer screening tests to the same extent that the policy or                                      
12 contract provides coverage for screening or detection of other diseases or illnesses.                                   
13 The coverage required by this section is subject to standard policy provisions                                          
14 applicable to other benefits including deductible or copayment provisions.                                              

01  (b)  This section does not apply to a supplemental insurance contract covering                                        
02 a specified disease or offering limited benefits.                                                                       
03  (c)  In this section, "prostate cancer screening tests" includes a prostate antigen                                   
04 blood test or another test that is equivalent or better in cancer detection.                                            
05    * Sec. 2.  This Act applies to a policy of insurance entered into or renewed on or after the                         
06 effective date of this Act.