§2332-M. Coverage for general anesthesia for dentistry

1.  Enrollee defined.  For the purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, "enrollee" means a person who is covered under an individual or group health insurance contract provided by a nonprofit hospital and medical service organization.

[PL 2001, c. 423, §1 (NEW); PL 2001, c. 423, §5 (AFF).]

2.  General anesthesia and associated facility charges.  All individual and group nonprofit hospital and medical service organization contracts must provide coverage for general anesthesia and associated facility charges for dental procedures rendered in a hospital when the clinical status or underlying medical condition of an enrollee requires dental procedures that ordinarily would not require general anesthesia to be rendered in a hospital. The nonprofit hospital and medical service organization may require prior authorization of general anesthesia and associated charges required for dental care procedures in the same manner that prior authorization is required for other covered diseases or conditions.

[PL 2001, c. 423, §1 (NEW); PL 2001, c. 423, §5 (AFF).]

3.  Limitations on coverage.  This section applies only to general anesthesia and associated facility charges for only the following enrollees if the enrollees meet the criteria in subsection 2:

A. Enrollees, including infants, exhibiting physical, intellectual or medically compromising conditions for which dental treatment under local anesthesia, with or without additional adjunctive techniques and modalities, can not be expected to provide a successful result and for which dental treatment under general anesthesia can be expected to produce a superior result;   [PL 2001, c. 423, §1 (NEW); PL 2001, c. 423, §5 (AFF).]

B. Enrollees demonstrating dental treatment needs for which local anesthesia is ineffective because of acute infection, anatomic variation or allergy;   [PL 2001, c. 423, §1 (NEW); PL 2001, c. 423, §5 (AFF).]

C. Extremely uncooperative, fearful, anxious or uncommunicative children or adolescents with dental needs of such magnitude that treatment should not be postponed or deferred and for whom lack of treatment can be expected to result in dental or oral pain or infection, loss of teeth or other increased oral or dental morbidity; and   [PL 2001, c. 423, §1 (NEW); PL 2001, c. 423, §5 (AFF).]

D. Enrollees who have sustained extensive oral-facial or dental trauma for which treatment under local anesthesia would be ineffective or compromised.   [PL 2001, c. 423, §1 (NEW); PL 2001, c. 423, §5 (AFF).]

[PL 2001, c. 423, §1 (NEW); PL 2001, c. 423, §5 (AFF).]

4.  Dental procedures and dentist's fee not covered.  This section does not require a nonprofit hospital and medical service organization to cover any charges for the dental procedure itself, including, but not limited to, the professional fee of the dentist. Coverage for anesthesia and associated facility charges pursuant to this section is subject to all other terms and conditions of the individual or group contract that apply generally to other benefits.

[PL 2001, c. 423, §1 (NEW); PL 2001, c. 423, §5 (AFF).]

5.  Coordination of benefits with dental insurance.  If an enrollee eligible for coverage under this section is also eligible for coverage for general anesthesia and associated facility charges under a dental insurance policy or contract, the nonprofit health care service organization or insurer providing dental insurance is the primary payer responsible for those charges and the nonprofit hospital and medical service organization is the secondary payer.

[PL 2001, c. 423, §1 (NEW); PL 2001, c. 423, §5 (AFF).]

6.  Application.  The requirements of this section apply to all policies, contracts and certificates executed, delivered, issued for delivery, continued or renewed in this State. For purposes of this section, all contracts are deemed to be renewed no later than the next yearly anniversary of the contract date.

[PL 2003, c. 517, Pt. B, §10 (NEW).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 2001, c. 423, §1 (NEW). PL 2001, c. 423, §5 (AFF). PL 2003, c. 517, §B10 (AMD).