Sec. 1. 24-A MRSA §9-A is enacted to read:

§9-A.__"Health insurance" defined

1.__Health insurance.__Health insurance, except as provided in subsection 2, is insurance of human beings against bodily injury, disablement or death by accident or accidental means, or the expense thereof, or against disablement or expense resulting from sickness, and every insurance appertaining thereto, including provision for the mental and emotional welfare of human beings by defraying the costs of legal services only to the extent provided for in chapter 38.

2.__Definitions.__As used in this Title, unless the context otherwise indicates, "accident and health insurance," "accident and sickness insurance," "health insurance," "health benefit plan" or "health" or "health care" in the title or description of any other plan or insurance, as used in any law enacted after January 1, 2001 that mandates medical benefits, coverages and rights such as health care practitioner, hospital, surgical or outpatient services, does not include, unless specifically provided otherwise in the law, the following types of insurance or any combination: hospital indemnity, accident, dental, vision, specified disease, disability income, long-term care, Medicare supplement or other limited benefit health insurance plan.

Sec. 2. Retroactivity. This Act applies retroactively to January 1, 2001.

SUMMARY

This bill removes certain limited benefit insurance products from the definition of health insurance and related terms as they relate to mandated medical benefits, coverages and rights involving health care practitioner, hospital, surgical or outpatient services or other forms of medical care.