(a)  Any insurer issuing an individual insurance policy that provides coverage of surgical operations performed on a person while confined in a hospital as an inpatient shall make available under the policy benefits for a second surgical opinion for elective surgical procedures performed in a hospital either on an inpatient or outpatient basis or in a licensed surgical facility.

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(b)  Benefits for a second surgical opinion shall include payment for the second surgical opinion services of an eligible physician and for essential laboratory and X-ray services incidental to those services, either as a benefit under the individual policy or, at the insurer’s option, as an additional benefit offered to the prospective policyholder at issue of a policy. Benefit payments may be limited to second surgical opinion services of eligible physicians who have agreed to participate in an insurer’s second surgical opinion program. The benefits shall be equal to amounts payable under the policy for covered in-hospital consultations. As a condition of eligibility for a second surgical opinion benefit, the subscriber shall notify the insurer in advance to verify eligibility and compliance with the provisions in this section.