Sec. 1. 24 MRSA §2317-B, sub-§10, as amended by PL 2001, c. 258, Pt. G, §1, is repealed.

Sec. 2. 24-A MRSA §2747, as amended by PL 2003, c. 428, Pt. H, §4, is repealed.

Sec. 3. 24-A MRSA §2816, as amended by PL 1981, c. 698, §110, is further amended to read:

§2816. Requirements

No policy of group or blanket health insurance shall may, except as provided in section 2829, be delivered or issued for delivery in this State, unless the policy contains in substance each and all of the provisions set forth in sections 2817 to 2828, or provisions which that in the opinion of the superintendent are more favorable to the holders of such certificates or not less favorable to the holders of such certificates and more favorable to policyholders. Insurers offering policies under this chapter shall offer to certificate holders the right of review and arbitration set forth in section 2747, subsection 1, with respect to denials of medical expense reimbursement benefits based upon the grounds set forth in section 2747, subsection 2, except that the requirement of section 2747, subsection 1 shall not apply to certificate holders in groups subject to the United States Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, Public Law 93-406, as amended, or to any policy or certificate holder to whom the insurer voluntarily extends a review similar to that which it provides to persons insured under group policies subject to that Act.

SUMMARY

This bill eliminates the requirement that health insurance carriers offer members in the nongroup market nonbinding arbitration for the determination of certain benefits.