This bill mandates that, starting January 1, 2027, all individual and group sickness and accident insurance policies, as well as self-funded employee benefit plans (where not preempted by federal law), must provide coverage for the treatment of specific pediatric autoimmune disorders. These include pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with a Group A streptococcal infection and pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome. The treatments covered under this legislation will be determined by the patient's licensed physician and may include antibiotics, medication, behavioral therapies, plasma exchange, and immunoglobulin.
Additionally, the bill defines key terms related to the conditions it addresses. Pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome is characterized as a class of acute-onset obsessive-compulsive or tic disorders in children or adolescents that cannot be attributed to other known neurological or medical disorders. Meanwhile, pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with a Group A streptococcal infection is described as a condition where a streptococcal infection leads to the sudden onset of significant neuropsychiatric symptoms, including obsessions, compulsions, and tics, or a fluctuating severity of symptoms.