Section 160. Basic health care services

Part IV. Services

A. A health maintenance organization that offers coverage in the large group market shall provide, or arrange for the provision of, as a minimum, basic health care services. These services shall include the following:

1. Inpatient hospital and physician services. Medically necessary hospital and physician services affording inpatient treatment to enrollees in a licensed hospital for a minimum of 90 days per contract or calendar year. Hospital services include room and board; general nursing care; special diets when medically necessary; use of operating room and related facilities; use of intensive care unit and services; x-ray, laboratory, and other diagnostic tests; drugs, medications, biologicals, anesthesia, and oxygen services; special duty nursing when medically necessary; short-term physical therapy, radiation therapy, and inhalation therapy; administration of whole blood and blood plasma; and short-term rehabilitation services. Physician services include medically necessary health care services performed, prescribed, or supervised by physicians within a hospital for registered bed patients.

2. Outpatient medical services. Medically necessary health care services performed, prescribed or supervised by physicians for enrollees, which may be provided in a nonhospital based health care facility, at a hospital, in a physician's office, or in the enrollee's home, and shall include consultation and referral services. Outpatient medical services shall also include diagnostic services, treatment services, short-term physical therapy and rehabilitation services the provision of which the health maintenance organization determines can be expected to result in the significant improvement of an enrollee's condition within a period of 90 days, laboratory services, x-ray services, and outpatient surgery.

3. Diagnostic laboratory and diagnostic and therapeutic radiologic services.

4. Preventive health services shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of § 38.2-3442 of the Code of Virginia.

5. In-area and out-of-area emergency services, including medically necessary ambulance services, available on an inpatient or an outpatient basis 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

6. Mental health and substance use disorder services shall be provided on parity with the medical and surgical benefits contained in the plan in accordance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-343).

7. Medically necessary dental services as a result of accidental injury, regardless of the date of such injury. Contracts may require that treatment be sought within 60 days of the accident for injuries occurring on or after the effective date of coverage.

B. A health maintenance organization that offers coverage in the individual or small group market shall provide, or arrange for the provision of, as a minimum, the essential health benefits required under § 38.2-3451 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 21, Issue 23, eff. July 1, 2005; amended, Virginia Register Volume 27, Issue 02, eff. January 1, 2011; Volume 31, Issue 03, eff. January 1, 2015.

Statutory Authority

§§ 12.1-13 and 38.2-223 of the Code of Virginia.