AB 216

Under current law, the Group Insurance Board (GIB) enters into health

insurance contracts and provides a health insurance plan on a self-insured basis for

eligible employees under the Wisconsin Retirement System, which include all state

employees and state annuitants and may include local government employees if the

local governmental unit elects to participate in a GIB health insurance plan. Among

the health care procedures that are currently covered under the health insurance

contracts and the state self-insured health care plan are abortion services. This bill

prohibits GIB from entering into any contract with respect to a group health

insurance plan or providing a group health insurance plan on a self-insured basis

that provides abortion services, with certain exceptions.

Under current law, disability insurance policies, also known as health

insurance policies, and self-insured governmental and school district health plans

must cover the cost of contraceptives prescribed by a health care provider and of

services that are necessary to prescribe, administer, maintain, or remove the

contraceptive. Contraceptives are drugs or devices approved by the federal Food and

Drug Administration to prevent pregnancy. This bill exempts from the coverage of

contraceptives and related services an insurer that issues a group health insurance

plan to a religious employer, religious organization, or religious institution of higher

education, if that employer, organization, or institution meets the criteria specified

in the bill.