0001|                         HOUSE BILL 221
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0002|     42ND LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION,
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0003|     1996
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0004|                         INTRODUCED BY
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0005|                       EDWARD C. SANDOVAL
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0006|     
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0007|     
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0008|       FOR THE HEALTH CARE TASK FORCE AND THE LEGISLATIVE
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0009|              HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE
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0010|     
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0011|                             AN ACT
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0012|     RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE; ENACTING A SECTION OF THE NMSA
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0013|     1978 TO PROHIBIT HEALTH INSURERS FROM DISCRIMINATING AGAINST
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0014|     PERSONS WITH SEVERE PERSISTENT BIOLOGICALLY BASED MENTAL
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0015|     ILLNESS.
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0016|     
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0017|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0018|       Section 1.  A new section of Chapter 59A, Article 16 NMSA
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0019|     1978 is enacted to read:
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0020|       "[<u>NEW MATERIAL</u>] DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PERSONS WITH
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0021|     SEVERE PERSISTENT BIOLOGICALLY BASED MENTAL ILLNESS.--No
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0022|     insurer, including health maintenance organizations, nonprofit
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0023|     health care plans and fraternal benefit societies, shall on the
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0024|     basis of a person's severe persistent biologically based mental
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0025|     illness refuse to insure, refuse to continue to insure, limit
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0001|     the amount, extent or kind of coverage available to a person or 
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0002|     treat any person with a severe persistent biologically based
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0003|     mental illness differently than a person with any other illness
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0004|     with respect to the terms, conditions, rates, benefits or
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0005|     requirements of an insurance contract.  For purposes of this
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0006|     section, "severe persistent biologically based mental illness"
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0007|     means schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, pervasive developmental
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0008|     disorder or autism, paranoia, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder or any major depressive disorder."
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0009|                            - 2 -    
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0010|     
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