April 07, 2015
On Apr. 3, 2015, the Virginia Commissioner of Insurance published Administrative Letter (AL) 2015-08. The letter states that the Commissioner has withdrawn AL 2015-01, which was originally issued on Feb. 2, 2015 (and covered in the Feb. 10, 2015, edition of Compliance Corner). AL 2015-01 addressed coverage of autism spectrum disorder coverage requirements and stated that plans in the small group market are exempt from those requirements. Previously, Virginia law defined ’small group’ as for employers with 50 or fewer employees. However, the Virginia legislature recently enacted legislation (Chapter 650, which becomes effective July 1, 2015) that eliminates that definition for purposes of the autism spectrum disorder coverage requirements. Thus, according to AL 2015-08, AL 2015-01 is withdrawn, and a health benefit plan issued in the small group market (defined as for employers with fewer than 100 employees) on or after Jan. 1, 2016, will be exempt from the autism spectrum disorder coverage requirements.
AL 2015-08 » Chapter 650 »