(a) All group and blanket health insurance policies, contracts or certificates that are delivered or issued for delivery in this State by any health insurer, health service corporation or managed care organization which provide medical and surgical benefits with respect to a mastectomy shall provide, in a case of an insured, participant, policyholder, subscriber and beneficiary who is receiving benefits in connection with such mastectomy, in a manner determined in consultation with the attending physician and the patient, coverage for: (1) All stages of reconstruction of the breast on which the mastectomy has been performed; (2) Surgery and reconstruction of the other breast to produce a symmetrical appearance; and (3) Prostheses and physical complications of mastectomy, including lymphedemas. Such coverage may be subject to annual deductibles and coinsurance provisions as may be deemed appropriate and as are consistent with those established for other benefits under the plan of coverage. Written notice of the availability of such coverage shall be delivered to the insured, participant, policyholder, subscriber and beneficiary upon enrollment and annually thereafter. (b) All group and blanket health benefit plans shall provide notice to each insured, participant, policyholder, subscriber and beneficiary under such plan regarding the coverage required by this section in accordance herewith. Such notice shall be in writing and prominently positioned in any literature or correspondence made available or distributed by the plan and shall be transmitted: (1) In the next mailing made by the plan to the insured, participant, policyholder, subscriber and beneficiary; (2) As part of any yearly informational packet sent to the insured, participant, policyholder, subscriber and beneficiary; (3) Not later than June 30, 2001, whichever is earliest. (c) A group or blanket health benefit plan may not deny to a patient eligibility or continued eligibility to enroll or to renew coverage under the terms of the plan solely for the purpose of avoiding the requirements of this section, and may not penalize or otherwise reduce or limit the reimbursement of an attending provider, or provide incentives (monetary or otherwise) to an attending provider, or induce such provider to provide care to an individual insured, participant, policyholder, subscriber and beneficiary in a manner inconsistent with this section. (d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent a group health benefit plan from negotiating the level and type of reimbursement with a provider for care provided in accordance with this section.
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