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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>72434</law_id><section_number>38.2-3407.11:3</section_number><catch_line>Breast cancer underwriting and preexisting condition restrictions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>38.2-3406.1</reference><reference>38.2-4319</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="38.2">Insurance</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="34">Provisions Relating to Accident and Sickness Insurance</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> No (i) <span class="dictionary">insurer</span> proposing to <span class="dictionary">issue</span> group accident and sickness <span class="dictionary">insurance policies</span> or individual health insurance coverage providing hospital, medical and surgical, major medical or cancer-only coverage on an expense-incurred basis, and policies or <span class="dictionary">contracts</span> designed for issuance to <span class="dictionary">persons</span> eligible for coverage under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, known as <span class="dictionary">Medicare</span>, or any other similar coverage under <span class="dictionary">state</span> or federal governmental plans; (ii) corporation providing individual or group accident and sickness subscription <span class="dictionary">contracts</span>; or (iii) health maintenance organization providing a health care plan for health care services shall deny the issuance or renewal of, or cancel, a policy, subscription <span class="dictionary">contract</span> or plan or include any exception or exclusion of benefits in such policy, subscription <span class="dictionary">contract</span> or plan for the following: <a id="paragraph-260889" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3407.11_3/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Solely because the insured has been diagnosed as having a fibrocystic condition or a nonmalignant lesion, or solely due to the family history of the insured related to breast cancer, or solely due to any combination of these factors; or <a id="paragraph-260890" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3407.11_3/#A1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Solely due to breast cancer, if the insured has been free from breast cancer for a period of five years or more prior to the date of application for coverage. In the case of coverage subject to &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Limitation on preexisting condition exclusion period" href="/38.2-3432.3/">38.2-3432.3</a>, <a class="law" title="Preexisting conditions provisions" href="/38.2-3514.1/">38.2-3514.1</a> or &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Coverage of preexisting conditions; Medicare supplement policies" href="/38.2-3605/">38.2-3605</a>, the provisions of those sections shall be controlling as to the extent of any preexisting conditions period under such coverage.
				Benefits provided under a policy, subscription <span class="dictionary">contract</span> or plan for such insureds shall be provided with durational limits, deductibles, coinsurance factors, and copayments that are no less favorable than for physical illness generally. <a id="paragraph-260891" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3407.11_3/#A2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> No (i) <span class="dictionary">insurer</span> proposing to <span class="dictionary">issue</span> group accident and sickness <span class="dictionary">insurance policies</span> or individual health insurance coverage providing hospital, medical and surgical or major medical coverage on an expense-incurred basis, and policies or <span class="dictionary">contracts</span> designed for issuance to <span class="dictionary">persons</span> eligible for coverage under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, known as <span class="dictionary">Medicare</span>, or any other similar coverage under <span class="dictionary">state</span> or federal governmental plans; (ii) corporation providing individual or group accident and sickness subscription <span class="dictionary">contracts</span>; or (iii) health maintenance organization providing a health care plan for health care services shall consider routine follow-up care, used to determine whether a breast cancer has recurred in a <span class="dictionary">person</span> who has been previously determined to be free of breast cancer as evidenced by negative follow-up care for a period of at least five years following completion of local and adjuvant therapies, to constitute medical advice, diagnosis, care or treatment for purposes of determining a preexisting condition unless <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of breast cancer is found during, or as a result of, the follow-up care. <a id="paragraph-260892" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3407.11_3/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> The requirements of this section shall apply to all <span class="dictionary">insurance policies</span>, <span class="dictionary">contracts</span> and plans delivered, issued for delivery, reissued, renewed or extended or at any time when any term of any such policy, <span class="dictionary">contract</span> or plan is changed or any premium adjustment is made. The provisions of this section shall not apply to short-term travel, accident-only, limited or specified disease policies except those providing coverage for cancer on an expense-incurred basis, nor to short-term nonrenewable policies of not more than six months&#x2019; duration. <a id="paragraph-260893" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3407.11_3/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2001, c. 242.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
