Scroll to History Page
Scroll to Previous Versions Links List
Scroll to Full Text
Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format

Bill 4414

                    Current Status

Bill Number:                      4414
Type of Legislation:              General Bill GB
Introducing Body:                 House
Introduced Date:                  20020108
Primary Sponsor:                  Talley
All Sponsors:                     Talley, Clyburn, Trotter
Drafted Document Number:          l:\council\bills\skb\18105zcw02.doc
Residing Body:                    House
Current Committee:                Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee 26 
                                  HLCI
Subject:                          Morbid obesity, health insurers required 
                                  to offer optional rider for treatment of


                        History

Body    Date      Action Description                     Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  ______________________________________ _______ ____________
House   20020206  Co-Sponsor added (Rule 5.2) by Rep.            Trotter
House   20020108  Introduced, read first time,           26 HLCI
                  referred to Committee
House   20011212  Prefiled, referred to Committee        26 HLCI


              Versions of This Bill

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 38-71-155 SO AS TO REQUIRE HEALTH INSURANCE ISSUERS TO OFFER AN OPTIONAL RIDER OR ENDORSEMENT TO PROVIDE FOR THE TREATMENT OF MORBID OBESITY AND TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    The 1976 Code is amended by adding:

    "Section 38-71-155.    (A)    If a health insurance issuer offers any health insurance coverage that does not provide coverage for the treatment of morbid obesity, it must offer an optional rider or endorsement to the insured or subscriber under an individual policy or a certificate holder or subscriber under a master policy, to provide for the treatment of morbid obesity through gastric bypass surgery or other methods recognized by the National Institutes of Health as being effective for long-term reversal of morbid obesity. Any additional cost to the insured or policyholder or certificate holder must be reasonably related to the benefits provided.

    (B)    For purposes of this section:

        (1)    'health insurance coverage' means coverage as defined in Sections 38-71-670(6) and 38-71-840(14);

        (2)    'health insurance issuer' means an 'issuer' as defined in Sections 38-71-670(7) and 38-71-840(16); and

        (3)    'morbid obesity' means a body mass index that is:

            (i) greater than forty kilograms per meter squared; or

            (ii) equal to or greater than thirty-five kilograms per meter squared with a comorbid medical condition, including hypertension, a cardiopulmonary condition, sleep apnea, or diabetes."

SECTION    2    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

This web page was last updated on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at 11:34 A.M.