Minn. Stat. § 62Q.01

Kolton v. County of Anoka · 2002 1 citation

. Although the legislature mandated mental health parity in health plans, it exempted disability plans from that requirement. Minnesota Statutes § 62Q.47(b) (2000) provides that "[c]ost-sharing requirements and benefit or service limitations for outpatient mental health and outpatient chemical dependency services * * * must not place a greater financial burden on the insured or enrollee, or be more restrictive than those requirements and limitations for outpatient medical services.” Minnesota Statutes § 62Q.47(c) (2000) imposes the same conditions on inpatient services. Minnesota Statutes § 62Q.47(a) (2000) states that section 62Q.47 applies to health plans, as defined in Minn. Stat. § 62Q.01 (2000), that provide coverage for mental health or chemical dependency services. Section 62Q.01 refers to the definition of "health plan” in Minn. Stat. § 62A.011 (2000). Minnesota Statutes § 62A.011, subd. 3 (2000), excludes coverage that is "limited to disability or income protection coverage” from the definition of "health plan.”

HealthPartners, Inc. v. Bernstein · 2003 2 citations

The commissioner agreed with the ALJ’s conclusion, based on the American *362 Heritage Dictionary, that the commonly understood meaning of “coverage” is “whether an insurance plan will assume the cost for the ailment or treatment in question.” The commissioner stated that there is no indication that the legislature intended the terms “for coverage” and “for insurance” to be synonymous, thereby limiting an HMO’s assessment calculation to risk-based contracts. To put this issue in context, the commissioner looked to Minn. Stat. §§ 62Q.01, subd. 6, 62A.31, subd. 3(q) (2002), both of which define and/or reference “Medicare-related coverage” as including payments to HMOs providing services to Medicare enrollees through risk-based and cost-contract bases.

The commissioner noted that Minn. Stat. ch. 62Q (2002), which governs health plans and health-plan companies in Minnesota, provides guidance in interpreting the phrase “for coverage.” Minn. Stat. § 62Q.01, subd. 6, states: