Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 5 Illinois Insurance Code. Section 356g

    (215 ILCS 5/356g) (from Ch. 73, par. 968g)

    Sec. 356g. Mammograms; mastectomies.

    (a) Every insurer shall provide in each group or individual policy, contract, or certificate of insurance issued or renewed for persons who are residents of this State, coverage for screening by low-dose mammography for all women 35 years of age or older for the presence of occult breast cancer within the provisions of the policy, contract, or certificate. The coverage shall be as follows:

    

    (1) A baseline mammogram for women 35 to 39 years of

    age.

    

    (2) An annual mammogram for women 40 years of age or

    older.

    

    (3) A mammogram at the age and intervals considered

    medically necessary by the woman's health care provider for women under 40 years of age and having a family history of breast cancer, prior personal history of breast cancer, positive genetic testing, or other risk factors.

        (4) A comprehensive ultrasound screening of an entire

    breast or breasts if a mammogram demonstrates heterogeneous or dense breast tissue, when medically necessary as determined by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches.

    For purposes of this Section, "low-dose mammography" means the x-ray examination of the breast using equipment dedicated specifically for mammography, including the x-ray tube, filter, compression device, and image receptor, with radiation exposure delivery of less than 1 rad per breast for 2 views of an average size breast. The term also includes digital mammography.

    (a-5) Coverage as described by subsection (a) shall be provided at no cost to the insured and shall not be applied to an annual or lifetime maximum benefit.

    (a-10) When health care services are available through contracted providers and a person does not comply with plan provisions specific to the use of contracted providers, the requirements of subsection (a-5) are not applicable. When a person does not comply with plan provisions specific to the use of contracted providers, plan provisions specific to the use of non-contracted providers must be applied without distinction for coverage required by this Section and shall be at least as favorable as for other radiological examinations covered by the policy or contract.

    (b) No policy of accident or health insurance that provides for the surgical procedure known as a mastectomy shall be issued, amended, delivered, or renewed in this State unless that coverage also provides for prosthetic devices or reconstructive surgery incident to the mastectomy. Coverage for breast reconstruction in connection with a mastectomy shall include:

        (1) reconstruction of the breast upon which the

    mastectomy has been performed;

        (2) surgery and reconstruction of the other breast to

    produce a symmetrical appearance; and

        (3) prostheses and treatment for physical

    complications at all stages of mastectomy, including lymphedemas. Care shall be determined in consultation with the attending physician and the patient. The offered coverage for prosthetic devices and reconstructive surgery shall be subject to the deductible and coinsurance conditions applied to the mastectomy, and all other terms and conditions applicable to other benefits. When a mastectomy is performed and there is no evidence of malignancy then the offered coverage may be limited to the provision of prosthetic devices and reconstructive surgery to within 2 years after the date of the mastectomy. As used in this Section, "mastectomy" means the removal of all or part of the breast for medically necessary reasons, as determined by a licensed physician.

    Written notice of the availability of coverage under this Section shall be delivered to the insured upon enrollment and annually thereafter. An insurer may not deny to an insured 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. An insurer may not penalize or reduce or limit the reimbursement of an attending provider or provide incentives (monetary or otherwise) to an attending provider to induce the provider to provide care to an insured in a manner inconsistent with this Section.

    (c) Rulemaking authority to implement this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, if any, is conditioned on the rules being adopted in accordance with all provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act and all rules and procedures of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules; any purported rule not so adopted, for whatever reason, is unauthorized.

(Source: P.A. 94-121, eff. 7-6-05; 95-431, eff. 8-24-07; 95-1045, eff. 3-27-09.)

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Last modified: February 18, 2015