Connecticut 2021 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB01008 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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4		-	Senate Bill No. 1008
	7	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1008
	8	+	January Session, 2021
	9	+	LCO No. 3658
5	10
6		-	Public Act No. 21-57
	11	+
	12	+	Referred to Committee on INSURANCE AND REAL ESTATE
	13	+
	14	+
	15	+	Introduced by:
	16	+	(INS)
	17	+
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8	19
9	20		AN ACT CONCERNING HE ALTH EQUITY, THE CORONAVIRUS
10	21		PANDEMIC AND PULSE O XIMETERS.
11	22		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
12	23		Assembly convened:
13	24
14		-	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) For the purposes of this
15		-	section:
16		-	(1) "Health care provider" has the same meaning as provided in
17		-	section 38a-477aa of the general statutes;
18		-	(2) "Health carrier" has the same meaning as provided in section 38a-
19		-	1080 of the general statutes;
20		-	(3) "Insured" has the same meaning as provided in section 38a-1 of
21		-	the general statutes;
22		-	(4) "Pharmacist" has the same meaning as provided in section 38a-
23		-	479aaa of the general statutes;
24		-	(5) "Pharmacy" has the same meaning as provided in section 38a-
25		-	479aaa of the general statutes; and
26		-	(6) "Pharmacy benefits manager" has the same meaning as provided
27		-	in section 38a-479aaa of the general statutes. Senate Bill No. 1008
	25	+	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) For the purposes of this 1
	26	+	section: 2
	27	+	(1) "Health care provider" has the same meaning as provided in 3
	28	+	section 38a-477aa of the general statutes; 4
	29	+	(2) "Health carrier" has the same meaning as provided in section 38a-5
	30	+	1080 of the general statutes; 6
	31	+	(3) "Pharmacist" has the same meaning as provided in section 38a-7
	32	+	479aaa of the general statutes; 8
	33	+	(4) "Pharmacy" has the same meaning as provided in section 38a-9
	34	+	479aaa of the general statutes; and 10
	35	+	(5) "Pharmacy benefits manager" has the same meaning as provided 11
	36	+	in section 38a-479aaa of the general statutes. 12 Raised Bill No. 1008
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29		-	Public Act No. 21-57 2 of 3
30	38
31		-	(b) Not later than January 1, 2022, the Department of Public Health,
32		-	in consultation with the Insurance Department, shall develop
33		-	educational materials to ensure that each health care provider, health
34		-	carrier, pharmacist, pharmacy and pharmacy benefits manager doing
35		-	business in this state is informed that a pulse oximeter is more likely to
36		-	produce an inaccurate blood oxygen level reading for an insured who is
37		-	an individual of color as opposed to an insured who is a white
38		-	individual.
39		-	(c) Not later than July 1, 2022, the Department of Public Health shall:
40		-	(1) Post the educational materials developed pursuant to subsection
41		-	(b) of this section on the department's Internet web site; and
42		-	(2) Distribute the educational materials developed pursuant to
43		-	subsection (b) of this section to each:
44		-	(A) Health care provider;
45		-	(B) Pharmacy; and
46		-	(C) Medical school located in this state for dissemination to such
47		-	school's students.
48		-	Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2022) No insurer, health care center,
49		-	hospital service corporation, medical service corporation, fraternal
50		-	benefit society or other entity delivering, issuing for delivery, renewing,
51		-	amending or continuing an individual or group health insurance policy
52		-	in this state on or after January 1, 2022, providing coverage of the type
53		-	specified in subdivisions (1), (2), (4), (11) and (12) of section 38a-469 of
54		-	the general statutes shall deny coverage for an otherwise covered
55		-	benefit if such denial is exclusively based on an insured's blood oxygen
56		-	level as measured by a pulse oximeter.
57		-	Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) For the purposes of this Senate Bill No. 1008
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59		-	Public Act No. 21-57 3 of 3
	43	+	(b) The Insurance Commissioner, in consultation with the 13
	44	+	Commissioner of Public Health, shall adopt regulations, in accordance 14
	45	+	with the provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes, to ensure that: 15
	46	+	(1) Each health care provider, health carrier, pharmacist, pharmacy 16
	47	+	and pharmacy benefits manager doing business in this state is informed 17
	48	+	that a pulse oximeter is more likely to produce an inaccurate blood 18
	49	+	oxygen level reading for an insured who is an individual of color as 19
	50	+	opposed to an insured who is a white individual; and 20
	51	+	(2) Each insured in this state: 21
	52	+	(A) Who receives a covered pulse oximeter is informed that such 22
	53	+	pulse oximeter is more likely to produce an inaccurate blood oxygen 23
	54	+	level reading for such insured if such insured is an individual of color 24
	55	+	as opposed to an insured who is a white individual; and 25
	56	+	(B) Is informed that if such insured receives an inaccurate blood 26
	57	+	oxygen level reading as measured by a pulse oximeter such insured may 27
	58	+	be deprived of medically necessary health care services due to such 28
	59	+	inaccurate reading. 29
	60	+	Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2022) No insurer, health care center, 30
	61	+	hospital service corporation, medical service corporation, fraternal 31
	62	+	benefit society or other entity delivering, issuing for delivery, renewing, 32
	63	+	amending or continuing an individual or group health insurance policy 33
	64	+	in this state on or after January 1, 2022, providing coverage of the type 34
	65	+	specified in subdivisions (1), (2), (4), (11) and (12) of section 38a-469 of 35
	66	+	the general statutes shall deny coverage for an otherwise covered 36
	67	+	benefit if such denial is exclusively based on an insured's blood oxygen 37
	68	+	level as measured by a pulse oximeter. 38
	69	+	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
	70	+	sections:
60	71
61		-	section:
62		-	(1) "Health carrier" has the same meaning as provided in section 38a-
63		-	1080 of the general statutes; and
64		-	(2) "Pharmacy benefits manager" has the same meaning as provided
65		-	in section 38a-479aaa of the general statutes.
66		-	(b) Not later than July 1, 2022, the Insurance Department shall:
67		-	(1) Post the educational materials developed pursuant to subsection
68		-	(b) of section 1 of this act on the department's Internet web site; and
69		-	(2) Distribute the educational materials developed pursuant to
70		-	subsection (b) of section 1 of this act to each health carrier and pharmacy
71		-	benefits manager doing business in this state.
	72	+	Section 1 July 1, 2021 New section
	73	+	Sec. 2 January 1, 2022 New section Raised Bill No. 1008
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	80	+
	81	+	INS Joint Favorable
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