Section 10123.81.

(a) Every individual or group policy of disability insurance or self-insured employee welfare benefit plan shall be deemed to provide coverage for mammography for screening or diagnostic purposes upon the referral of a participating nurse practitioner, participating certified nurse-midwife, participating physician assistant, or participating physician, providing care to the patient and operating within the scope of practice provided under existing law.

(b)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the application of copayment or deductible provisions in a policy, nor shall this section be construed to require that a policy be extended to cover any other procedures under an individual or a group policy. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize a policyholder to receive the services required to be covered by this section if those services are furnished by a nonparticipating provider, unless the policyholder is referred to that provider by a participating physician, nurse practitioner, or certified nurse-midwife providing care.

(c) This section shall not apply to specialized health insurance, Medicare supplement insurance, short-term limited duration health insurance, CHAMPUS supplement insurance, or TRI-CARE supplement insurance, or to hospital indemnity, accident-only, or specified disease insurance.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 436, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2013.)