In regulation of insurers and related persons generally, providing for disclosure of addiction treatment coverage and for administrative penalties.
Summary
SB901 would add a new chapter to Pennsylvania’s insurance statutes requiring insurers to provide policyholders and insureds with a biannual notice explaining addiction treatment coverage. The notice must be no more than two pages, written in plain language, and describe the levels of addiction treatment covered under the policy or plan, the lengths of stay available, how to access services, how to file appeals or grievances, and how to seek public funding if needed.
The bill also requires the notice to be reviewed by the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs before it is issued, with input from the Insurance Department, recovery organizations, service providers, parent groups, and others. The departments are given 45 days to approve the language, and if there are disputes, they must jointly mediate and help resolve them. Failure to comply can result in administrative fines or other penalties set by the Insurance Department. The bill would take effect immediately and would exempt these notices from a filing-reform statute that otherwise applies to certain insurance notices.
Impact
SB901 would create a new disclosure requirement for health insurers regulated under Pennsylvania insurance law, expanding Title 40 with a chapter focused on addiction treatment coverage transparency. It would affect insurers issuing or administering health insurance policies and plans, and it would impose a new administrative review process involving both the Insurance Department and the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. The bill also authorizes penalties for noncompliance and carves these notices out of the Accident and Health Filing Reform Act’s section 303 requirements.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the measure appears to be framed as a consumer-protection and transparency bill aimed at helping patients and families understand substance use disorder benefits. The overall tone of the proposal is supportive of access to treatment information and clearer insurer communication. No formal voting history or transcript evidence is available here to show opposition or support beyond the sponsors’ intent.
Contention
The main points of potential contention are the added compliance burden on insurers, the requirement that notices be reviewed and approved by multiple agencies and outside stakeholders, and the possibility of administrative penalties for failure to comply. Insurers may object to the mandated content, the timing of biannual notices, or the extra approval process, while advocates for recovery and families are likely to support the bill’s plain-language disclosure requirements and broader transparency around addiction treatment coverage.
Providing for individual and group health care insurance coverage protections and for core health benefits; imposing penalties; and providing for applicability and for regulations.
Providing for health care insurance coverage protections, for duties of the Insurance Department and the Insurance Commissioner, for regulations, for enforcement and for penalties.
Providing for health care insurance coverage protections, for duties of the Insurance Department and the Insurance Commissioner, for regulations, for enforcement and for penalties.