Rhode Island § 27-41-76 - Health Maintenance Organizations

§ 27-41-76. Prohibition on annual and lifetime limits.

(a) Annual limits.

(1) For plan or policy years beginning prior to January 1, 2014, for any individual, a health maintenance organization subject to the jurisdiction of the commissioner under this chapter may establish an annual limit on the dollar amount of benefits that are essential health benefits provided the restricted annual limit is not less than the following:

(i) For a plan or policy year beginning after September 22, 2011, but before September 23, 2012 — one million two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($1,250,000); and

(ii) For a plan or policy year beginning after September 22, 2012, but before January 1, 2014 — two million dollars ($2,000,000).

(2) For plan or policy years beginning on or after January 1, 2014, a health maintenance organization shall not establish any annual limit on the dollar amount of essential health benefits for any individual, except:

(i) A health flexible spending arrangement, as defined in 26 U.S.C. § 106(c)(2), a medical savings account, as defined in 26 U.S.C. § 220, and a health savings account, as defined in 26 U.S.C. § 223, are not subject to the requirements of subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this section.

(ii) The provisions of this subsection (a) shall not prevent a health maintenance organization from placing annual dollar limits for any individual on specific covered benefits that are not essential health benefits to the extent that such limits are otherwise permitted under applicable federal law or the laws and regulations of this state.

(3) In determining whether an individual has received benefits that meet or exceed the allowable limits, as provided in subsection (a)(1) of this section, a health maintenance organization shall take into account only essential health benefits.

(b) Lifetime limits.

(1) A health insurance carrier and health benefit plan offering group or individual health insurance coverage shall not establish a lifetime limit on the dollar value of essential health benefits for any individual.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (b)(1), a health insurance carrier and health benefit plan is not prohibited from placing lifetime dollar limits for any individual on specific covered benefits that are not essential health benefits in accordance with federal laws and regulations.

(c)(1) The provisions of this section relating to lifetime limits apply to any health maintenance organization or health insurance carrier providing coverage under an individual or group health plan, including grandfathered health plans.

(2) The provisions of this section relating to annual limits apply to any health maintenance organization or health insurance carrier providing coverage under a group health plan, including grandfathered health plans, but the prohibition and limits on annual limits do not apply to grandfathered health plans providing individual health insurance coverage.

(d) This section shall not apply to a plan or to policy years prior to January 1, 2014, for which the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a waiver pursuant to 45 C.F.R. § 147.126(d)(3). This section also shall not apply to insurance coverage providing benefits for: (1) Hospital confinement indemnity; (2) Disability income; (3) Accident only; (4) Long-term care; (5) Medicare supplement; (6) Limited benefit health; (7) Specified disease indemnity; (8) Sickness or bodily injury or death by accident or both; and (9) Other limited benefit policies.

(e) [Deleted by P.L. 2024, ch. 201, § 4 and P.L. 2024, ch. 202, § 4.]