§2832. Maternity benefits for unmarried women certificate

holders and the minor dependents of certificate

holders with dependent or family coverage required

All group or blanket health insurance policies and plans, contracts and certificates shall provide the same maternity benefits for unmarried women certificate holders, and the minor dependents of certificate holders with dependent or family coverage, as is provided married certificate holders with maternity coverage and the wives of certificate holders with maternity coverage. This requirement shall apply applies to all group or blanket insurance written or renewed after the effective date of this Act, and shall include includes, but is not be limited to, all types and forms of group insurance issued by individual companies or corporations.

Sec. B-12. 24-A MRSA §2834-A, as amended by PL 2001, c. 258, Pt. A, §3, is further amended to read:

§2834-A. Maternity and routine newborn care

An insurer that issues group contracts and certificates providing maternity benefits, including benefits for childbirth, shall provide coverage for services related to maternity and routine newborn care, including coverage for hospital stay, in accordance with the attending physician's or attending certified nurse midwife's determination in conjunction with the mother that the mother and newborn meet the criteria outlined in the "Guidelines for Perinatal Care," published by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. For the purposes of this section, "routine newborn care" does not include any services provided after the mother has been discharged from the hospital. For the purposes of this section, "attending physician" includes the obstetrician, pediatrician or other physician attending the mother and newborn. Benefits for routine newborn care required by this section are part of the mother's benefit. The mother and the newborn are treated as one person in calculating the deductible, coinsurance and copayments for coverage required by this section.

Sec. B-13. 24-A MRSA §2835, sub-§§1 and 3, as amended by PL 2003, c. 65, §2 and affected by §5, are further amended to read:

1. Notwithstanding any provision of a health insurance policy or certificate issued under a group policy subject to this chapter, whenever the policy provides for payment or reimbursement for services that are within the lawful scope of