Alaska Statutes.
Title 21. Insurance
Chapter 54. Health Insurance
Section 151. Mental Health Benefits.
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AS 21.54.151. Mental Health Benefits.

(a) Except as provided in (d) of this section, a health care insurance plan sold in the large employer group market that provides both medical and surgical benefits and mental health benefits shall meet the following requirements:

(1) if the plan does not include an aggregate lifetime limit on substantially all medical and surgical benefits, the plan may not provide for an aggregate lifetime limit on mental health benefits;

(2) if the plan includes an aggregate lifetime limit on substantially all medical and surgical benefits, the plan must

(A) include the mental health benefits within the aggregate lifetime limit and may not distinguish in the application of the limit between medical and surgical benefits and mental health benefits; or

(B) provide an aggregate lifetime limit for mental health benefits that is not less than the aggregate lifetime limit for medical and surgical benefits;

(3) if the plan includes different aggregate lifetime limits or none on different categories of medical and surgical benefits, the plan must provide for aggregate lifetime limits on mental health benefits consistent with federal law;

(4) if the plan does not include an annual limit on substantially all medical and surgical benefits, the plan may not provide for an annual limit on mental health benefits;

(5) if the plan includes an annual limit on substantially all medical and surgical benefits, the plan must

(A) include the mental health benefits with the annual limit and may not distinguish in the application of the limit between medical and surgical benefits and mental health benefits; or

(B) provide an annual limit for mental health benefits that is not less than the annual limit for medical and surgical benefits; and

(6) if the plan includes different annual limits or none on different categories of medical and surgical benefits, the plan must provide for annual limits on mental health benefits consistent with federal law.

(b) Except as provided otherwise in this title, a health care insurance plan is not required to provide mental health benefits.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in this title, this section does not affect the terms and conditions relating to the amount, duration, or scope of mental health benefits under a health care insurance plan that provides mental health benefits, including cost sharing, limits on the number of visits or days of coverage, and requirements relating to medical necessity.

(d) This section does not apply if application of this section would result in an increase in the cost under the health care insurance plan of at least one percent.

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