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March 2014

Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act takes effect March 13

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and BCN are working to align with a new state law called the Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act (Public Act 182 of 2013). There is considerable complexity involved in administering changes to our systems to comply with the law, and it will take us some time to determine how best to implement these changes.

We’ll communicate more information as soon as it becomes available through web-DENIS and future issues of this newsletter.

Background
The Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act requires health plans that provide coverage and reimbursement for “elective abortion” services to do so only through an optional rider for which an additional premium is paid by the purchaser. It is effective for policies or certificates issued or renewed on or after March 13, 2014.

The law also establishes financial penalties for a provider or facility that seeks or accepts reimbursement for elective abortion services when they are not a covered benefit.

The law defines “elective abortion” as the intentional use of an instrument, drug or other substance or device to terminate a woman’s pregnancy for a purpose other than:

  • Increasing the probability of a live birth;
  • Preserving the life or health of the child after live birth;
  • Removing a fetus that has died as a result of natural causes, accidental trauma, or a criminal assault on the pregnant mother
  • Using or prescribing a drug or device intended as a contraceptive
  • Averting the death of the mother (in the physician’s reasonable medical judgment); or
  • Treating a woman who is experiencing a miscarriage or who has been diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy

If you need more information about the act, contact your attorney.

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*CPT codes, descriptions and two-digit numeric modifiers only are copyright 2013 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and
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