NRS287.0276. Coverage for screening for and diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders required to be provided by local governmental agency which provides health insurance through plan of self-insurance.

      1.  The governing body of any county, school district, municipal corporation, political subdivision, public corporation or other local governmental agency of the State of Nevada that provides health insurance through a plan of self-insurance must provide coverage for screening for and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders and for treatment of autism spectrum disorders to persons covered by the plan of self-insurance under the age of 18 or, if enrolled in high school, until the person reaches the age of 22.

      2.  Coverage provided under this section is subject to:

      (a) A maximum benefit of $36,000 per year for applied behavior analysis treatment; and

      (b) Copayment, deductible and coinsurance provisions and any other general exclusion or limitation of a plan of self-insurance to the same extent as other medical services or prescription drugs covered by the policy.

      3.  A governing body of any county, school district, municipal corporation, political subdivision, public corporation or other local governmental agency of the State of Nevada that provides health insurance through a plan of self-insurance which provides coverage for outpatient care shall not:

      (a) Require an insured to pay a higher deductible, copayment or coinsurance or require a longer waiting period for coverage for outpatient care related to autism spectrum disorders than is required for other outpatient care covered by the plan of self-insurance; or

      (b) Refuse to issue a plan of self-insurance or cancel a plan of self-insurance solely because the person applying for or covered by the plan of self-insurance uses or may use in the future any of the services listed in subsection 1.

      4.  Except as provided in subsections 1 and 2, a governing body of any county, school district, municipal corporation, political subdivision, public corporation or other local governmental agency of the State of Nevada that provides health insurance through a plan of self-insurance shall not limit the number of visits an insured may make to any person, entity or group for treatment of autism spectrum disorders.

      5.  Treatment of autism spectrum disorders must be identified in a treatment plan and may include medically necessary habilitative or rehabilitative care, prescription care, psychiatric care, psychological care, behavior therapy or therapeutic care that is:

      (a) Prescribed for a person diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder by a licensed physician or licensed psychologist; and

      (b) Provided for a person diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder by a licensed physician, licensed psychologist, licensed behavior analyst or other provider that is supervised by the licensed physician, psychologist or behavior analyst.

Ê A governing body of any county, school district, municipal corporation, political subdivision, public corporation or other local governmental agency of the State of Nevada that provides health insurance through a plan of self-insurance may request a copy of and review a treatment plan created pursuant to this subsection.

      6.  A plan of self-insurance subject to the provisions of this chapter that is delivered, issued for delivery or renewed on or after July 1, 2011, has the legal effect of including the coverage required by subsection 1, and any provision of the plan of self-insurance or the renewal which is in conflict with subsections 1 or 2 is void.

      7.  Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring a governing body of any county, school district, municipal corporation, political subdivision, public corporation or other local governmental agency of the State of Nevada that provides health insurance through a plan of self-insurance to provide reimbursement to an early intervention agency or school for services delivered through early intervention or school services.

      8.  As used in this section:

      (a) “Applied behavior analysis” means the design, implementation and evaluation of environmental modifications using behavioral stimuli and consequences to produce socially significant improvement in human behavior, including, without limitation, the use of direct observation, measurement and functional analysis of the relations between environment and behavior.

      (b) “Autism spectrum disorders” means a neurobiological medical condition including, without limitation, autistic disorder, Asperger’s Disorder and Pervasive Development Disorder Not Otherwise Specified.

      (c) “Behavioral therapy” means any interactive therapy derived from evidence-based research, including, without limitation, discrete trial training, early intensive behavioral intervention, intensive intervention programs, pivotal response training and verbal behavior provided by a licensed psychologist, licensed behavior analyst, licensed assistant behavior analyst or certified autism behavior interventionist.

      (d) “Certified autism behavior interventionist” means a person who is certified as an autism behavior interventionist by the Board of Psychological Examiners and who provides behavior therapy under the supervision of:

             (1) A licensed psychologist;

             (2) A licensed behavior analyst; or

             (3) A licensed assistant behavior analyst.

      (e) “Evidence-based research” means research that applies rigorous, systematic and objective procedures to obtain valid knowledge relevant to autism spectrum disorders.

      (f) “Habilitative or rehabilitative care” means counseling, guidance and professional services and treatment programs, including, without limitation, applied behavior analysis, that are necessary to develop, maintain and restore, to the maximum extent practicable, the functioning of a person.

      (g) “Licensed assistant behavior analyst” means a person who holds current certification or meets the standards to be certified as a board certified assistant behavior analyst issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc., or any successor in interest to that organization, who is licensed as an assistant behavior analyst by the Board of Psychological Examiners and who provides behavior therapy under the supervision of a licensed behavior analyst or psychologist.

      (h) “Licensed behavior analyst” means a person who holds current certification or meets the standards to be certified as a board certified behavior analyst or a board certified assistant behavior analyst issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc., or any successor in interest to that organization and who is licensed as a behavior analyst by the Board of Psychological Examiners.

      (i) “Prescription care” means medications prescribed by a licensed physician and any health-related services deemed medically necessary to determine the need or effectiveness of the medications.

      (j) “Psychiatric care” means direct or consultative services provided by a psychiatrist licensed in the state in which the psychiatrist practices.

      (k) “Psychological care” means direct or consultative services provided by a psychologist licensed in the state in which the psychologist practices.

      (l) “Screening for autism spectrum disorders” means all medically appropriate assessments, evaluations or tests to diagnose whether a person has an autism spectrum disorder.

      (m) “Therapeutic care” means services provided by licensed or certified speech pathologists, occupational therapists and physical therapists.

      (n) “Treatment plan” means a plan to treat an autism spectrum disorder that is prescribed by a licensed physician or licensed psychologist and may be developed pursuant to a comprehensive evaluation in coordination with a licensed behavior analyst.

      (Added to NRS by 2009, 1478)