Louisiana Revised Statutes Tit. 22, § 1077.4. Inpatient treatment following a perinatal psychiatric diagnosis; commercial insurance

A. Any health benefit plan offered by a health insurance issuer that provides mental health benefits with respect to treatment for perinatal psychiatric diagnoses shall provide coverage for voluntary inpatient treatment for a patient with a perinatal psychiatric diagnosis. Inpatient admissions, including overnight stays, and medications resulting from treatments, including infusions and prescriptions, and counseling shall be covered services.

B. All decisions regarding voluntary inpatient treatment following a perinatal psychiatric diagnosis shall be made solely by an attending physician, physician assistant, psychiatrist, psychologist, medical psychologist, or nurse practitioner in consultation with the patient. All levels of maternal mental health inpatient treatment as provided for in this Section shall be considered medically necessary and shall not be excluded from coverage. The treating physician, physician assistant, psychiatrist, psychologist, medical psychologist, or nurse practitioner shall consider recognized evidence based standards, such as guidelines of InterQual or Milliman Care Guidelines (MCG), in making treatment recommendations. Health insurance issuers shall not deny coverage for voluntary inpatient treatment for a patient with a perinatal psychiatric diagnosis that is consistent with these standards.

C. Any voluntary admission covered by this Section shall be in accordance with R.S. 28:52.

D. The coverage required pursuant to this Section may be subject to annual deductibles, coinsurance, and copayment provisions established under the health benefit plan.

E. For purposes of this Section, the following terms have the following meanings:

F. The implementation of the provisions of this Section shall be subject to the appropriation of funds by the legislature for this purpose.