Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 583 of the Regular Session
1 State of Arkansas
2 93rd General Assembly A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2021 HOUSE BILL 1357
4
5 By: Representatives Vaught, Bentley, Breaux, Cavenaugh, Furman, M. Gray, Haak, L. Johnson, B. Smith
6 By: Senators D. Wallace, G. Leding
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO CONTINUE CARE FOR THE PROTECTION OF CANCER
10 SURVIVORS; CONCERNING COVERAGE FOR POSITRON EMISSION
11 TOMOGRAPHY UNDER A HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN TO SCREEN FOR
12 OR DIAGNOSE CANCER IN CERTAIN PATIENTS; AND FOR OTHER
13 PURPOSES.
14
15
16 Subtitle
17 TO CONTINUE CARE FOR THE PROTECTION OF
18 CANCER SURVIVORS.
19
20
21 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
22
23 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 23, Chapter 79, Subchapter 1, is
24 amended to add an additional section to read as follows:
25 23-79-164. Coverage for positron emission tomography Definitions.
26 (a) As used in this section:
27 (1)(A) Health benefit plan means an individual, blanket, or
28 any group plan, policy, or contract for healthcare services issued, renewed,
29 or extended in this state by a healthcare insurer, health maintenance
30 organization, hospital medical service corporation, or self-insured
31 governmental or church plan in this state.
32 (B) Health benefit plan includes:
33 (i) Indemnity and managed care plans; and
34 (ii) Plans providing health benefits to state and
35 public school employees under 21-5-401 et seq.
36 (C) Health benefit plan does not include:
*ANS132* 01/29/2021 11:27:58 AM ANS132
 HB1357
1 (i) A plan that provides only dental benefits or eye
2 and vision care benefits;
3 (ii) A disability income plan;
4 (iii) A credit insurance plan;
5 (iv) Insurance coverage issued as a supplement to
6 liability insurance;
7 (v) Medical payments under an automobile or
8 homeowners' insurance plan;
9 (vi) A health benefit plan provided under Arkansas
10 Constitution, Article 5, 32, the Workers' Compensation Law, 11-9-101 et
11 seq., and the Public Employee Workers' Compensation Act, 21-5-601 et seq.;
12 (vii) A plan that provides only indemnity for
13 hospital confinement;
14 (viii) An accident-only plan; or
15 (ix) A specified disease plan;
16 (2)(A) "Healthcare insurer" means any insurance company,
17 hospital and medical service corporation, or health maintenance organization
18 that issues or delivers health benefit plans in this state and is subject to
19 any of the following laws:
20 (i) The insurance laws of this state;
21 (ii) Section 23-75-101 et seq., pertaining to
22 hospital and medical service corporations; or
23 (iii) Section 23-76-101 et seq., pertaining to
24 health maintenance organizations.
25 (B) "Healthcare insurer" does not include an entity that
26 provides only dental benefits or eye and vision care benefits; and
27 (3) "Positron emission tomography" means an imaging test that
28 uses radioactive substances to visualize and measure metabolic processes in
29 the body to help reveal how tissue and organs are functioning.
30 (b) A healthcare insurer that offers a health benefit plan in this
31 state shall provide coverage for positron emission tomography to screen for
32 or to diagnose cancer in a patient upon the recommendation of the patient's
33 physician when the patient has a prior history of cancer.
34 (c) Benefits under subsection (b) of this section are subject to any
35 health benefit plan provisions that apply to other services covered by the
36 health benefit plan. APPROVED: 4/6/21
2 01/29/2021 11:27:58 AM ANS132