[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1588 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1588

To amend the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income 
Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require 
 that group and individual health insurance coverage and group health 
 plans provide coverage for treatment of a minor child's congenital or 
developmental deformity or disorder due to trauma, infection, tumor, or 
                                disease.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 11, 2007

   Ms. Landrieu (for herself, Mr. Coleman, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Bayh, Ms. 
 Stabenow, Mr. Lugar, and Mr. Cochran) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income 
Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require 
 that group and individual health insurance coverage and group health 
 plans provide coverage for treatment of a minor child's congenital or 
developmental deformity or disorder due to trauma, infection, tumor, or 
                                disease.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Children's Access to Reconstructive 
Evaluation and Surgery Act'' or the ``CARES Act''.

SEC. 2. COVERAGE OF MINOR CHILD'S CONGENITAL OR DEVELOPMENTAL DEFORMITY 
              OR DISORDER.

    (a) Group Health Plans.--
            (1) Public health service act amendments.--
                    (A) In general.--Subpart 2 of part A of title XXVII 
                of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg-4 et 
                seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 2707. STANDARDS RELATING TO BENEFITS FOR MINOR CHILD'S 
              CONGENITAL OR DEVELOPMENTAL DEFORMITY OR DISORDER.

    ``(a) Requirements for Reconstructive Surgery.--
            ``(1) In general.--A group health plan, and a health 
        insurance issuer offering group health insurance coverage, that 
        provides coverage for surgical benefits shall provide coverage 
        for outpatient and inpatient diagnosis and treatment of a minor 
        child's congenital or developmental deformity, disease, or 
        injury. A minor child shall include any individual through 21 
        years of age.
            ``(2) Requirements.--Any coverage provided under paragraph 
        (1) shall be subject to pre-authorization or pre-certification 
        as required by the plan or issuer, and such coverage shall 
        include any surgical treatment which, in the opinion of the 
        treating physician, is medically necessary to approximate a 
        normal appearance.
            ``(3) Treatment defined.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In this section, the term 
                `treatment' includes reconstructive surgical procedures 
                (procedures that are generally performed to improve 
                function, but may also be performed to approximate a 
                normal appearance) that are performed on abnormal 
                structures of the body caused by congenital defects, 
                developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors, 
                or disease, including--
                            ``(i) procedures that do not materially 
                        affect the function of the body part being 
                        treated; and
                            ``(ii) procedures for secondary conditions 
                        and follow-up treatment.
                    ``(B) Exception.--Such term does not include 
                cosmetic surgery performed to reshape normal structures 
                of the body to improve appearance or self-esteem.
    ``(b) Notice.--A group health plan under this part shall comply 
with the notice requirement under section 714(b) of the Employee 
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 with respect to the requirements 
of this section as if such section applied to such plan.''.
                    (B) Conforming amendment.--Section 2723(c) of the 
                Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg-23(c)) is 
                amended by striking ``section 2704'' and inserting 
                ``sections 2704 and 2707''.
            (2) ERISA amendments.--
                    (A) In general.--Subpart B of part 7 of subtitle B 
                of title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security 
                Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1185 et seq.) is amended by 
                adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 714. STANDARDS RELATING TO BENEFITS FOR MINOR CHILD'S CONGENITAL 
              OR DEVELOPMENTAL DEFORMITY OR DISORDER.

    ``(a) Requirements for Reconstructive Surgery.--
            ``(1) In general.--A group health plan, and a health 
        insurance issuer offering group health insurance coverage, that 
        provides coverage for surgical benefits shall provide coverage 
        for outpatient and inpatient diagnosis and treatment of a minor 
        child's congenital or developmental deformity, disease, or 
        injury. A minor child shall include any individual through 21 
        years of age.
            ``(2) Requirements.--Any coverage provided under paragraph 
        (1) shall be subject to pre-authorization or pre-certification 
        as required by the plan or issuer, and such coverage shall 
        include any surgical treatment which, in the opinion of the 
        treating physician, is medically necessary to approximate a 
        normal appearance.
            ``(3) Treatment defined.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In this section, the term 
                `treatment' includes reconstructive surgical procedures 
                (procedures that are generally performed to improve 
                function, but may also be performed to approximate a 
                normal appearance) that are performed on abnormal 
                structures of the body caused by congenital defects, 
                developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors, 
                or disease, including--
                            ``(i) procedures that do not materially 
                        affect the function of the body part being 
                        treated; and
                            ``(ii) procedures for secondary conditions 
                        and follow-up treatment.
                    ``(B) Exception.--Such term does not include 
                cosmetic surgery performed to reshape normal structures 
                of the body to improve appearance or self-esteem.
    ``(b) Notice Under Group Health Plan.--The imposition of the 
requirements of this section shall be treated as a material 
modification in the terms of the plan described in section 102(a)(1), 
for purposes of assuring notice of such requirements under the plan; 
except that the summary description required to be provided under the 
last sentence of section 104(b)(1) with respect to such modification 
shall be provided by not later than 60 days after the first day of the 
first plan year in which such requirements apply.''.
                    (B) Conforming amendments.--
                            (i) Section 731(c) of the Employee 
                        Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 
                        U.S.C. 1191(c)) is amended by striking 
                        ``section 711'' and inserting ``sections 711 
                        and 714''.
                            (ii) Section 732(a) of the Employee 
                        Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 
                        U.S.C. 1191a(a)) is amended by striking 
                        ``section 711'' and inserting ``sections 711 
                        and 714''.
                            (iii) The table of contents in section 1 of 
                        the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 
                        1974 is amended by inserting after the item 
                        relating to section 713 the following:

``Sec. 714. Standards relating to benefits for minor child's congenital 
                            or developmental deformity or disorder.''.
            (3) Internal revenue code amendments.--Subchapter B of 
        chapter 100 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended--
                    (A) in the table of sections, by inserting after 
                the item relating to section 9812 the following:

``Sec. 9813. Standards relating to benefits for minor child's 
                            congenital or developmental deformity or 
                            disorder.'';
                and
                    (B) by inserting after section 9812 the following:

``SEC. 9813. STANDARDS RELATING TO BENEFITS FOR MINOR CHILD'S 
              CONGENITAL OR DEVELOPMENTAL DEFORMITY OR DISORDER.

    ``(a) Requirements for Reconstructive Surgery.--
            ``(1) In general.--A group health plan, and a health 
        insurance issuer offering group health insurance coverage, that 
        provides coverage for surgical benefits shall provide coverage 
        for outpatient and inpatient diagnosis and treatment of a minor 
        child's congenital or developmental deformity, disease, or 
        injury. A minor child shall include any individual through 21 
        years of age.
            ``(2) Requirements.--Any coverage provided under paragraph 
        (1) shall be subject to pre-authorization or pre-certification 
        as required by the plan or issuer, and such coverage shall 
        include any surgical treatment which, in the opinion of the 
        treating physician, is medically necessary to approximate a 
        normal appearance.
            ``(3) Treatment defined.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In this section, the term 
                `treatment' includes reconstructive surgical procedures 
                (procedures that are generally performed to improve 
                function, but may also be performed to approximate a 
                normal appearance) that are performed on abnormal 
                structures of the body caused by congenital defects, 
                developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors, 
                or disease, including--
                            ``(i) procedures that do not materially 
                        affect the function of the body part being 
                        treated; and
                            ``(ii) procedures for secondary conditions 
                        and follow-up treatment.
                    ``(B) Exception.--Such term does not include 
                cosmetic surgery performed to reshape normal structures 
                of the body to improve appearance or self-esteem.''.
    (b) Individual Health Insurance.--
            (1) In general.--Part B of title XXVII of the Public Health 
        Service Act is amended by inserting after section 2752 the 
        following:

``SEC. 2753. STANDARDS RELATING TO BENEFITS FOR MINOR CHILD'S 
              CONGENITAL OR DEVELOPMENTAL DEFORMITY OR DISORDER.

    ``(a) Requirements for Reconstructive Surgery.--
            ``(1) In general.--A group health plan, and a health 
        insurance issuer offering group health insurance coverage, that 
        provides coverage for surgical benefits shall provide coverage 
        for outpatient and inpatient diagnosis and treatment of a minor 
        child's congenital or developmental deformity, disease, or 
        injury. A minor child shall include any individual through 21 
        years of age.
            ``(2) Requirements.--Any coverage provided under paragraph 
        (1) shall be subject to pre-authorization or pre-certification 
        as required by the plan or issuer, and such coverage shall 
        include any surgical treatment which, in the opinion of the 
        treating physician, is medically necessary to approximate a 
        normal appearance.
            ``(3) Treatment defined.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In this section, the term 
                `treatment' includes reconstructive surgical procedures 
                (procedures that are generally performed to improve 
                function, but may also be performed to approximate a 
                normal appearance) that are performed on abnormal 
                structures of the body caused by congenital defects, 
                developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors, 
                or disease, including--
                            ``(i) procedures that do not materially 
                        affect the function of the body part being 
                        treated; and
                            ``(ii) procedures for secondary conditions 
                        and follow-up treatment.
                    ``(B) Exception.--Such term does not include 
                cosmetic surgery performed to reshape normal structures 
                of the body to improve appearance or self-esteem.
    ``(b) Notice.--A health insurance issuer under this part shall 
comply with the notice requirement under section 714(b) of the Employee 
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 with respect to the requirements 
referred to in subsection (a) as if such section applied to such issuer 
and such issuer were a group health plan.''.
            (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 2762(b)(2) of the Public 
        Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg-62(b)(2)) is amended by 
        striking ``section 2751'' and inserting ``sections 2751 and 
        2753''.
    (c) Effective Dates.--
            (1) Group health coverage.--The amendments made by 
        subsection (a) shall apply with respect to group health plans 
        for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2008.
            (2) Individual health coverage.--The amendment made by 
        subsection (b) shall apply with respect to health insurance 
        coverage offered, sold, issued, renewed, in effect, or operated 
        in the individual market on or after such date.
    (d) Coordinated Regulations.--Section 104(1) of Health Insurance 
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 300gg-92 note) is 
amended by striking ``this subtitle (and the amendments made by this 
subtitle and section 401)'' and inserting ``the provisions of part 7 of 
subtitle B of title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 
1974, the provisions of parts A and C of title XXVII of the Public 
Health Service Act, and chapter 100 of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986''.
                                 <all>