A. All individual and group health maintenance organization contracts delivered or issued for delivery in this state shall also provide that the health benefits applicable for children shall be payable with respect to a newly born child of the subscriber or the subscriber's spouse from the moment of birth.

B. All individual and group health maintenance organization contracts delivered or issued for delivery in this state that do not provide health benefits applicable for children shall provide for an option to add to the coverage any newly born child of the insured provided that the requirements of Subsection D of this section have been met.

C. The coverage for newly born children shall consist of coverage of injury or sickness, including the necessary care and treatment of medically diagnosed congenital defects and birth abnormalities and, where necessary to protect the life of the infant, transportation, including air transport, to the nearest available tertiary care facility for newly born infants.

D. If a specific payment is required to provide coverage for a child, the contract may require that a notification of birth of a newly born child and payment must be furnished to the health maintenance organization within thirty-one days after the date of birth in order to have the coverage from birth.

E. As used in this section and in Section 59A-46-28 NMSA 1978 [59A-46-39 NMSA 1978], "tertiary care facility" means a hospital unit which provides complete perinatal care and intensive care of intrapartum and perinatal high-risk patients with responsibilities for coordination of transport, communication, education and data analysis systems for the geographic area served.

History: Laws 1984, ch. 127, § 874; 1993, ch. 169, § 2; 1978 Comp., § 59A-46-27, recompiled as 1978 Comp., § 59A-46-38 by Laws 1993, ch. 266, § 31.

The 1993 amendment, effective June 18, 1993, added Subsection B; redesignated former Subsections B through D as Subsections C through E; substituted "from birth" for "continue beyond such thirty-one day period" in Subsection D; and substituted "Section 59A-46-28 NMSA 1978" for "Section 875 of this article" in Subsection E.

Applicability. — Laws 1993, ch. 169, § 3 provided that the provisions of the act apply to policies, plans, contracts and certificates delivered or issued for delivery or renewed, extended or amended in the state on or after July 1, 1993.