District of Columbia Code Division V. Local Business Affairs § 31-3161. Prohibition on gender-based discrimination in rate making.

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term “health benefit plan” shall have the same meaning as provided in § 31-3001(1).

(b) An individual health benefit plan offered, sold, issued, or renewed to a District resident shall not have a premium rate, or any other underwriting decision, determined through a method that is in any way based upon the gender or sex of a person covered under the health benefit plan.

(c) Each individual health benefit plan offered, sold, issued, or renewed in the District shall provide hospitalization benefits for childbirth to the same extent as benefits provided in the policy for any covered illness. In addition to the provisions of this subsection and subsection (c) of this section, if a mother is required to remain hospitalized after childbirth for medical reasons and the mother requests that the newborn remain in the hospital, the individual health benefit plan shall pay the cost of additional hospitalization for the newborn for up to 4 days.

(d) Each individual health benefit plan offered, sold, issued, or renewed in the District shall provide coverage for the cost of inpatient hospitalization services for a mother and newborn child for a minimum of:

(e) A mother may request a shorter length of stay than that provided in subsection (c) of this section if the mother decides, in consultation with the mother's attending provider, that less time is needed for recovery.