The House Economic Development, Banking, Insurance, and Commerce Committee released a bill that would require individual health insurance plans to cover medically necessary removal of excess skin and subcutaneous tissue.

The bill’s sponsor described a constituent who, after substantial weight loss, faced medical issues from excess skin that her doctors deemed medically necessary to remove but whose insurer initially declined coverage. The sponsor said the bill would clarify coverage and make explicit to consumers and future insurers that procedures such as panicullectomy — an operation to remove excess skin and subcutaneous tissue — are covered when deemed medically necessary.

The sponsor told the committee that the term "medically necessary" is already defined in Delaware law for health insurance plans, state employee plans and Medicaid, and that most carriers in Delaware already cover such procedures. The sponsor said the bill would prevent future confusion for consumers and insurers. The sponsor also stated there is no fiscal note associated with the legislation because the State Employee Health Plan and Medicaid already cover these procedures.

Chris Haas of the Department of Insurance said the department was neutral on the bill and noted that the premium impact, if any, would be “very insignificant, around 10 to 20¢ per member per month.”

Committee members moved and seconded the motion to release the bill; the chair later stated the measure had received the required number of votes and was released from committee. No opposing public comments were recorded in the hearing transcript.

Votes at a glance: Bill on medically necessary removal of excess skin — motion to release from committee (mover: not specified; second: not specified); outcome: released from committee.

The bill will be circulated for signatures of absent members and, if it receives the required number of signatures, will be reported to the legislative website and announced on the House floor.