Introduced By: Senators Enos, Walton and Sosnowski
Date Introduced : February 9, 1999
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 27-18 of the General Laws entitled "Accident and Sickness Insurance Policies" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
{ADD 27-18-53. Acupuncture services. -- ADD} {ADD (a) Every group health insurance contract, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery or renewed in this state which provides medical coverage, and every group policy which provides for treatment of persons for the prevention, cure or correction of any illness or physical or mental condition shall provide, as an optional rider, coverage for the services of a Doctor of Acupuncture as a provider of Acupuncture services; provided, however, that this section shall not apply to insurance coverage providing benefits for: ADD}
{ADD (i) hospital confinement indemnity; ADD}
{ADD (ii) disability income; ADD}
{ADD (iii) accident only; ADD}
{ADD (iv) long term care; ADD}
{ADD (v) medicare supplement; ADD}
{ADD (vi) limited benefit health; ADD}
{ADD (vii) specified disease indemnity; ADD}
{ADD (viii) sickness or bodily injury or death by accident or both, and ADD}
{ADD (ix) other limited benefit policies. ADD}
{ADD (b) For the purposes of this section: ADD}
{ADD (1) "Doctor of Acupuncture" means a practitioner licensed under chapter 5-37.2. ADD}
{ADD (2) "Coverage for the services of a Doctor of Acupuncture as a provider of Acupuncture services" means coverage for Acupuncture as defined in section 5-37.2-2(1). ADD}
{ADD (c) It shall remain within the sole discretion of the accident and sickness insurer, as to which Doctor of Acupuncture it shall contract with. Reimbursement shall be provided according to the respective principles and policies of the accident and sickness insurer; provided, however, that no accident and sickness insurer may be required to pay for duplicative services actually rendered by a Doctor of Acupuncture and any other health care provider. Nothing contained herein shall preclude the accident and sickness insurer from conducting managed care, medical necessity or utilization review. ADD}
SECTION 2. Chapter 27-19 of the General Laws entitled "Nonprofit Hospital Service Corporations" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
{ADD 27-19-47. Acupuncture services. -- ADD} {ADD (a) Every group health insurance contract, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery or renewed in this state which provides medical coverage, and every group policy which provides for treatment of persons for the prevention, cure or correction of any illness or physical or mental condition shall provide, as an optional rider, coverage for the services of a Doctor of Acupuncture as a provider of Acupuncture services. ADD}
{ADD (b) For the purposes of this section: ADD}
{ADD (1) "Doctor of Acupuncture" means a practitioner licensed under chapter 5-37.2. ADD}
{ADD (2) "Coverage for the services of a Doctor of Acupuncture as a provider of Acupuncture services" means coverage for Acupuncture as defined in section 5-37.2-2(1). ADD}
{ADD (c) It shall remain within the sole discretion of the non-profit hospital service corporation as to which Doctor of Acupuncture it shall contract with. Reimbursement shall be provided according to the respective principles and policies of the non-profit hospital service corporation; provided, however, that no non-profit hospital service corporation may be required to pay for duplicative services actually rendered by a Doctor of Acupuncture and any other health care provider. Nothing contained herein shall preclude the non-profit hospital service corporation from conducting managed care, medical necessity or utilization review. ADD}
SECTION 3. Chapter 27-20 of the General Laws entitled "Nonprofit Medical Service Corporations" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
{ADD 27-20-42. Acupuncture services. -- ADD} {ADD (a) Every group health insurance contract, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery or renewed in this state which provides medical coverage, and every group policy which provides for treatment of persons for the prevention, cure or correction of any illness or physical or mental condition shall provide, as an optional rider, coverage for the services of a Doctor of Acupuncture as a provider of Acupuncture services. ADD}
{ADD (b) For the purposes of this section: ADD}
{ADD (1) "Doctor of Acupuncture" means a practitioner licensed under Chapter 5-37.2. ADD}
{ADD (2) "Coverage for the services of a Doctor of Acupuncture as a provider of Acupuncture services" means coverage for Acupuncture as defined in section 5-37.2-2(1). ADD}
{ADD (c) It shall remain within the sole discretion of the non-profit medical service corporation as to which Doctor of Acupuncture it shall contract with. Reimbursement shall be provided according to the respective principles and policies of the non-profit medical service corporation; provided, however, that no non-profit medical service corporation may be required to pay for duplicative services actually rendered by a Doctor of Acupuncture and any other health care provider. Nothing contained herein shall preclude non-profit medical service corporation from conducting managed care, medical necessity or utilization review. ADD}
SECTION 4. Chapter 27-41 of the General Laws entitled "Health Maintenance Organizations" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
{ADD 27-41-57. Acupuncture services. -- ADD} {ADD (a) Every group health insurance contract, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery or renewed in this state which provides medical coverage, and every group policy which provides for treatment of persons for the prevention, cure or correction of any illness or physical or mental condition shall provide, as an optional rider, coverage for the services of a Doctor of Acupuncture as a provider of Acupuncture services. ADD}
{ADD (b) For the purposes of this section: ADD}
{ADD (1) "Doctor of Acupuncture" means a practitioner licensed under chapter 5-37.2. ADD}
{ADD (2) "Coverage for the services of a Doctor of Acupuncture as a provider of Acupuncture services" means coverage for Acupuncture as defined in section 5-37.2-2(1). ADD}
{ADD (c) It shall remain within the sole discretion of the health maintenance organization as to which Doctor of Acupuncture it shall contract with. Reimbursement shall be provided according to the respective principles and policies of the health maintenance organization; provided, however, that no health maintenance organization may be required to pay for duplicative services actually rendered by a Doctor of Acupuncture and any other health care provider. Nothing contained herein shall preclude the health maintenance organization from conducting managed care, medical necessity or utilization review. ADD}
SECTION 5. This act shall take effect on April 1, 2000.
