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<section article="gin" article_name="Insurance" number="15-817" title_number="15" title_name="Health Insurance" subtitle_number="8" subtitle_name="Required Health Insurance Benefits">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this section, “child wellness services” means preventive activities designed to protect children from morbidity and mortality and promote child development.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>This section applies to each individual hospital or major medical insurance policy, group or blanket health insurance policy, and nonprofit health service plan that:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>is delivered or issued for delivery in the State;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>is written on an expense–incurred basis; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>provides coverage for a family member of the insured.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A policy or plan subject to this section shall include under the family member coverage a minimum package of child wellness services that are consistent with:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>public health policy;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>professional standards; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>scientific evidence of effectiveness.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The minimum package of child wellness services shall cover at least:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>all visits for and costs of childhood and adolescent immunizations recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as of December 31, 2024, as updated by recommendations issued by the Secretary of Health in accordance with § 18–112 of the Health – General Article;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>visits for the collection of adequate samples, the first of which is to be collected before 2 weeks of age, for hereditary and metabolic newborn screening and follow–up between birth and 4 weeks of age;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>universal hearing screening of newborns provided by a hospital before discharge;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>all visits for and costs of age–appropriate screening tests for tuberculosis, anemia, lead toxicity, hearing, and vision as determined by the American Academy of Pediatrics;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>all visits for obesity evaluation and management;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>all visits for and costs of developmental screening as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>a physical examination, developmental assessment, and parental anticipatory guidance services at each of the visits required under items (i), (ii), (iv), (v), and (vi) of this paragraph; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="viii">
        <text>any laboratory tests considered necessary by the physician as indicated by the services provided under items (i), (ii), (iv), (v), (vi), or (vii) of this paragraph.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>Except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, an insurer or nonprofit health service plan that issues a policy or plan subject to this section, on notification of the pregnancy of the insured and before the delivery date, shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>encourage and help the insured to choose and contact a primary care provider for the expected newborn before delivery; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>provide the insured with information on postpartum home visits for the mother and the expected newborn, including the names of health care providers that are available for postpartum home visits.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>An insurer or nonprofit health service plan that does not require or encourage the insured to use a particular health care provider or group of health care providers that has contracted with the insurer or nonprofit health service plan to provide services to the insurer’s or nonprofit health service plan’s insureds need not comply with subsection (d) of this section.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A policy or plan subject to this section may not impose a deductible on the coverage required under this section.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Each health insurance policy and certificate shall contain a notice of the prohibition established by paragraph (1) of this subsection in a form approved by the Commissioner.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>The Commissioner may adopt regulations necessary to carry out subsection (c)(2)(i) of this section consistent with federal statutes, rules, and guidance in effect on December 31, 2024, as updated by recommendations issued by the Secretary of Health in accordance with § 18–112 of the Health – General Article.</text>
  </level>
</section>
