§1232.  Hematopoietic transplant centers

No health insurance issuer authorized to transact business in this state shall refuse to consider an application to provide hematopoietic cell transplantation in any preferred or exclusive provider network by any transplant center located in the state provided the following conditions are met:

(1)  The transplant center is certified by the Federation for the Accreditation of Hematopoietic Cell Therapy (FAHCT) or by at least one of the following National Institutes of Health sponsored cooperative groups: the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG), the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), or the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB), for adult patients; and the Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) or Children's Cancer Group (CCG) for pediatric patients.

(2)  The transplant center accepts payment at the same rate paid to other transplant centers located outside of Louisiana with whom the health insurance issuer has a contract for such services.

(3)  The transplant center agrees to perform all medically necessary services associated with hematopoietic cell transplantation at no additional cost to the insured or enrollee regardless of any lifetime benefit limits or other limitations on coverage.

Acts 1999, No. 207, §1; Redesignated from R.S. 22:1450.22 by Acts 2008, No. 415, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009.

NOTE:  Former R.S. 22:1232 redesignated as R.S. 22:1942 by Acts 2008, No. 415, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009.