Optional coverage for mental and nervous disorders required; exception.

(1) Every insurer, health maintenance organization, and nonprofit hospital and medical service plan corporation transacting group health insurance or providing prepaid health care in this state shall make available to the policyholder as part of the application, for an appropriate additional premium under a group hospital and medical expense-incurred insurance policy, under a group prepaid health care contract, and under a group hospital and medical service plan contract, the benefits or level of benefits specified in subsection (2) for the necessary care and treatment of mental and nervous disorders, as defined in the standard nomenclature of the American Psychiatric Association, subject to the right of the applicant for a group policy or contract to select any alternative benefits or level of benefits as may be offered by the insurer, health maintenance organization, or service plan corporation provided that, if alternate inpatient, outpatient, or partial hospitalization benefits are selected, such benefits shall not be less than the level of benefits required under paragraph (2)(a), paragraph (2)(b), or paragraph (2)(c), respectively.

(2) Under group policies or contracts, inpatient hospital benefits, partial hospitalization benefits, and outpatient benefits consisting of durational limits, dollar amounts, deductibles, and coinsurance factors shall not be less favorable than for physical illness generally, except that:

(a) Inpatient benefits may be limited to not less than 30 days per benefit year as defined in the policy or contract. If inpatient hospital benefits are provided beyond 30 days per benefit year, the durational limits, dollar amounts, and coinsurance factors thereto need not be the same as applicable to physical illness generally.

(b) Outpatient benefits may be limited to $1,000 for consultations with a licensed physician, a psychologist licensed pursuant to chapter 490, a mental health counselor licensed pursuant to chapter 491, a marriage and family therapist licensed pursuant to chapter 491, and a clinical social worker licensed pursuant to chapter 491. If benefits are provided beyond the $1,000 per benefit year, the durational limits, dollar amounts, and coinsurance factors thereof need not be the same as applicable to physical illness generally.

(c) Partial hospitalization benefits shall be provided under the direction of a licensed physician. For purposes of this part, the term “partial hospitalization services” is defined as those services offered by a program that is accredited by an accrediting organization whose standards incorporate comparable regulations required by this state. Alcohol rehabilitation programs accredited by an accrediting organization whose standards incorporate comparable regulations required by this state or approved by the state and licensed drug abuse rehabilitation programs shall also be qualified providers under this section. In a given benefit year, if partial hospitalization services or a combination of inpatient and partial hospitalization are used, the total benefits paid for all such services may not exceed the cost of 30 days after inpatient hospitalization for psychiatric services, including physician fees, which prevail in the community in which the partial hospitalization services are rendered. If partial hospitalization services benefits are provided beyond the limits set forth in this paragraph, the durational limits, dollar amounts, and coinsurance factors thereof need not be the same as those applicable to physical illness generally.

(3) Insurers must maintain strict confidentiality regarding psychiatric and psychotherapeutic records submitted to an insurer for the purpose of reviewing a claim for benefits payable under this section. These records submitted to an insurer are subject to the limitations of s. 456.057, relating to the furnishing of patient records.