(a) No health care service plan contract that is issued, amended, renewed, or delivered on or after July 1, 2003, that provides maternity coverage shall do either of the following:

(1) Contain a copayment or deductible for inpatient hospital maternity services that exceeds the most common amount of the copayment or deductible contained in the contract for inpatient services provided for other covered medical conditions.

(2) Contain a copayment or deductible for ambulatory care maternity services that exceeds the most common amount of the copayment or deductible contained in the contract for ambulatory care services provided for other covered medical conditions.

(b) No health care service plan that provides maternity benefits for a person covered continuously from conception shall be issued, amended, delivered, or renewed in this state if it contains any exclusion, reduction, or other limitations as to coverage, deductibles, or coinsurance provisions as to involuntary complications of pregnancy, unless the provisions apply generally to all benefits paid under the plan.

(c) If the pregnancy is interrupted, the maternity deductible charged for prenatal care and delivery shall be based on the value of the medical services received, providing it is never more than two-thirds of the plan’s maternity deductible.

(d) For purposes of this section, involuntary complications of pregnancy shall include, but not be limited to, puerperal infection, eclampsia, cesarean section delivery, ectopic pregnancy, and toxemia.

(e) This section shall not permit copayments or deductibles in the Medi-Cal program that are not otherwise authorized under state or federal law.

(f) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2003.

(Repealed (in Sec. 2) and added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 880, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2003. Section operative July 1, 2003, by its own provisions.)