An Act to amend and reenact §§ 2.2-2818, 38.2-3445.02, 38.2-3462, 38.2-4214, 38.2-4319, and 38.2-5904 of the Code of Virginia; to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 2 of Chapter 34 of Title 38.2 a section numbered 38.2-3419.2; and to repeal §§ 38.2-3419.1, 38.2-3445.2, and 38.2-5601 of the Code of Virginia, relating to health insurance; reporting requirements.
HB618 is a health insurance reporting and conforming-changes bill that revises several sections of the Virginia Code governing health coverage for state employees and various regulated health plans. The bill amends the state employee health insurance statute to continue requiring coverage for chiropractic care, hospitalization, medical, surgical, and major medical benefits, and it retains specific mandated benefits such as screening mammograms and postpartum services. It also preserves and updates an appeals process for covered state employees, including an expedited emergency appeals procedure, and ties certain coverage standards to federal rules and current professional guidelines.
The bill also makes a series of technical and substantive updates across the insurance code, including amendments to provisions affecting health maintenance organizations, health benefit plans, and other insurance-related reporting requirements. It adds a new section in Title 38.2 and repeals several older sections, indicating an effort to consolidate, update, or replace prior reporting and coverage provisions. Overall, the legislation appears aimed at modernizing statutory language and aligning Virginia insurance requirements with current federal and professional standards while maintaining existing consumer and employee protections.
HB618 affects multiple sections of the Virginia Code, including the state employee health insurance program and several health insurance provisions in Title 38.2. Its practical impact is to preserve mandated coverage and appeals protections for state employees while updating reporting and compliance requirements for insurers and health plans. By repealing older sections and adding a new section, the bill likely streamlines or reorganizes existing insurance law rather than creating an entirely new regulatory framework, but it still has direct effects on the Commonwealth, insurers, and covered employees.
The available record suggests the bill was generally noncontroversial and received approval as enacted chapter text. No committee transcript or vote breakdown is provided, but the bill’s final passage indicates it likely had broad support or at least no recorded opposition in the available materials. The subject matter is largely administrative and technical, with consumer and employee coverage protections that are typically viewed favorably.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Based on the text, any debate would most likely have centered on the scope of mandated health benefits, the administrative burden of reporting requirements, or the cost implications for the Commonwealth and insurers. However, there is no evidence in the record of organized opposition, disputed amendments, or divided votes.