(a) No policy of health, sickness, or accident insurance delivered, or issued for delivery, in this state, including both individual and group policies, which provide coverage for psychiatric treatment or mental illness shall exclude hospitalization benefits for mental patients in tax-supported institutions of the State of Alabama, or any county or municipality thereof.
(b) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any policy of insurance in effect prior to September 20, 1971, nor shall the provisions of this section apply to any employee benefit plan providing hospital benefits for mental patients where such employee benefit plan is established by the employer and contributions to the plan are provided by the employer and the employee, or either of them, and such plan is not evidenced by individual, or group or blanket policies of health, sickness, or accident insurance issued by an insurance company.