An Act to strengthen the control of contagious and infectious diseases in the Commonwealth

This bill creates a new process for the state health commissioner to officially designate specific contagious or infectious diseases as having heightened public health importance. Once a disease is designated, the law requires various health insurance plans, including those for government employees and private commercial policies, to cover related prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services without charging patients copayments, deductibles, or requiring prior authorization. The commissioner must notify relevant insurance regulators and healthcare providers immediately after making a designation and must review the list of designated diseases at least once a year to renew or remove them.