Bill Text - HB351 (2012)

Relative to insurance reimbursement for doctors of naturopathic medicine.


Revision: May 17, 2012, midnight

HB 351-FN – AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

4Jan2012… 2789h

05/02/12 1827s

05/02/12 1916s

05/16/12 2294s

2011 SESSION

11-0169

01/04

HOUSE BILL 351-FN

AN ACT relative to insurance reimbursement for doctors of naturopathic medicine.

SPONSORS: Rep. Cebrowski, Hills 18; Rep. Case, Rock 1; Rep. Merrick, Coos 2; Rep. Kotowski, Merr 9

COMMITTEE: Commerce and Consumer Affairs

AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill requires health insurance reimbursement for health care services provided by a doctor of naturopathic medicine licensed under RSA 328-E under certain circumstances.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

4Jan2012… 2789h

05/02/12 1827s

05/02/12 1916s

05/16/12 2294s

11-0169

01/04

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eleven

AN ACT relative to insurance reimbursement for doctors of naturopathic medicine.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 New Section; Coverage for Naturopathy Providers; Individual. Amend RSA 415 by inserting after section 6-q the following new section:

415:6-r Naturopathy Providers; Payment for Equivalent Types of Service; Individual. Each insurer that issues or renews any individual policy, plan, or contract of accident or health insurance providing benefits for medical or hospital expenses shall provide to persons covered by such insurance who are residents of this state coverage for expenses arising from a health service performed by a doctor of naturopathic medicine licensed under RSA 328-E if that particular type of service is within the scope of practice of such doctor and if the insurer would reimburse for that type of service when performed by any other type of health care provider. Such coverage shall be subject to each insurer’s standards and mechanisms for determining medical necessity, for credentialing pursuant to RSA 420-J:4, and for contracting pursuant to RSA 420-J:8. Benefits provided shall not be subject to any greater co-payment, deductible, or coinsurance than any other similar benefits provided by the insurer.

2 New Section; Coverage for Naturopathy Providers; Group. Amend RSA 415 by inserting after section 18-v the following new section:

415:18-w Naturopathy Providers; Payment for Equivalent Types of Services; Group. Each insurer that issues or renews any policy of group or blanket accident or health insurance providing benefits for medical or hospital expenses shall provide to each group, or to the portion of each group comprised of certificate holders of such insurance who are residents of this state, coverage for expenses arising from a health service performed by a doctor of naturopathic medicine licensed under RSA 328-E if that particular type of service is within the scope of practice of such doctor and if the insurer would reimburse for that type of service when performed by any other type of health care provider. Such coverage shall be subject to each insurer’s standards and mechanisms for determining medical necessity, for credentialing pursuant to RSA 420-J:4, and for contracting pursuant to RSA 420-J:8. Benefits provided shall not be subject to any greater co-payment, deductible, or coinsurance than any other similar benefits provided by the insurer.

3 Health Service Corporations; Coverage for Health Care Services. Amend RSA 420-A:2 to read as follows:

420-A:2 Applicable Statutes. Every health service corporation shall be governed by this chapter and the relevant provisions of RSA 161-H, and shall be exempt from this title except for the provisions of RSA 400-A:39, RSA 401-B, RSA 402-C, RSA 404-F, RSA 415-A, RSA 415-F, RSA 415:6, II(4), RSA 415:6-g, RSA 415:6-k, RSA 415:6-m, RSA 415:6-o, RSA 415:6-r, RSA 415:18, V, RSA 415:18, VII(g), RSA 415:18, XVI and XVII, RSA 415:18, VII-a, RSA 415:18-a, RSA 415:18-j, RSA 415:18-o, RSA 415:18-r, RSA 415:18-t, RSA 415:18-u, RSA 415:18-v, RSA 415:18-w, RSA 415:22, RSA 417, RSA 417-E, RSA 420-J, and all applicable provisions of title XXXVII wherein such corporations are specifically included. Every health service corporation and its agents shall be subject to the fees prescribed for health service corporations under RSA 400-A:29, VII.

4 Health Maintenance Corporations; Coverage for Health Care Services. Amend RSA 420-B:20, III to read as follows:

III. The requirements of RSA 400-A:39, RSA 401-B, RSA 402-C, RSA 404-F, RSA 415:6-g, RSA 415:6-m, RSA 415:6-o, RSA 415:6-r, RSA 415:18, VII(g), RSA 415:18, VII-a, RSA 415:18, XVI and XVII, RSA 415:18-j, RSA 415:18-r, RSA 415:18-t, RSA 415:18-u, RSA 415:18-v, RSA 415:18-w, RSA 415-A, RSA 415-F, RSA 420-G, and RSA 420-J shall apply to health maintenance organizations.

5 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2013.

LBAO

11-0169

Amended 02/01/12

HB 351 FISCAL NOTE

AN ACT relative to insurance reimbursement for doctors of naturopathic medicine.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Department of Insurance states this bill, as amended by the House (Amendment #2011-2789h), may increase state general fund revenue, and county and local expenditures by indeterminable amounts in FY 2012 and each year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact on state general fund expenditures, or county and local revenues.

METHODOLOGY:

    The Department of Insurance states this bill provides for insurance coverage for naturopathic medicine. The Department assumes, with the bill effective 60 days after passage, any fiscal impact would begin in FY 2012 and that the additional coverage may increase the cost of health insurance by an indeterminable amount. The increase in cost may be mitigated to the extent that the coverage is already included in policies and also by decreases in the utilization of other services. The Department states the state tax on health insurance premiums would increase in relation to the increase in health insurance premiums. The Department assumes county and local expenditures for health insurance may increase, but state expenditures would not be impacted since the state retiree and employee health benefit programs are self-funded.

    The Department of Administrative Services states this bill, as written, applies to health insurance carriers and would not impact the state employee and retiree benefit programs which are self-funded.

    The Board of Naturopathic Examiners states this bill will have no fiscal impact on the Board.