Does the state have “continuity of care” provisions?
States receive a "meets policy" when they require plans to cover continued care from the provider a) for at least 60 days; b) if the patient is in her second trimester of pregnancy and has begun prenatal care with the provider; and c) if the patient is in a current course of treatment or if the treatment is medically necessary. The definition of medically necessary includes those provisions in the law that reference specific circumstances such as chronic conditions and degenerative conditions. If the law defines medically necessary as only referring to terminal illnesses, then the state does not satisfy the medically necessary criterion. States receive a "limited policy" when they have at least one of these provisions in place and a "no policy" if they have none of these protections.
Data Source: Continuity of Care, 2006.
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, "State Mandated Benefits: Continuity of Care, 2006," available at http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparetable.jsp?cat=7&ind=374, accessed March 30, 2007.