Section 1367.54.

Every group health care service plan contract that provides maternity benefits, except for a specialized health care service plan contract, that is issued, amended, renewed, or delivered on or after January 1, 1999, and every individual health care service plan contract of a type and form first offered for sale on or after January 1, 1999, that provides maternity benefits, except a specialized health care service plan contract, shall provide coverage for participation in the Expanded Alpha Feto Protein (AFP) program, which is a statewide prenatal testing program administered by the State Department of Health Services. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a health care service plan that provides maternity benefits shall not require participation in the statewide prenatal testing program administered by the State Department of Health Services as a prerequisite to eligibility for, or receipt of, any other service.

(Added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 1064, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1999.)