Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H1069 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2135 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1069
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Kay Khan
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act to increase access to nurse-midwifery services.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Kay Khan11th Middlesex1/17/2023David M. Rogers24th Middlesex2/3/2023Patrick M. O'ConnorFirst Plymouth and Norfolk2/7/2023Michelle M. DuBois10th Plymouth2/7/2023Sally P. Kerans13th Essex2/8/2023Thomas M. Stanley9th Middlesex2/9/2023Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester2/9/2023Jack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex2/13/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire2/14/2023Samantha Montaño15th Suffolk2/14/2023Tram T. Nguyen18th Essex2/15/2023David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf17th Worcester2/15/2023Brian W. Murray10th Worcester2/16/2023Smitty Pignatelli3rd Berkshire2/22/2023James J. O'Day14th Worcester2/28/2023Adrianne Pusateri Ramos14th Essex3/1/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester3/4/2023Russell E. Holmes6th Suffolk3/10/2023 1 of 4
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2135 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1069
18	18	By Representative Khan of Newton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1069) of Kay
19	19	Khan and others relative to insurance coverage and access to nurse-midwifery services.
20	20	Financial Services.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 3881 OF 2021-2022.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
26	26	(2023-2024)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act to increase access to nurse-midwifery services.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 32A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the
32	32	2following section:-
33	33	3 Section 31. The commission shall provide to any active or retired employee of the
34	34	4commonwealth insured under the group insurance commission coverage for services rendered by
35	35	5a certified nurse midwife designated to engage in the practice of nurse-midwifery by the board of
36	36	6registration in nursing pursuant to section 80C of chapter 112; provided, however, that the
37	37	7following conditions are met: (1) the service rendered is within the scope of the certified nurse
38	38	8midwife’s authorization to practice by the board of registration in nursing; (2) the policy or
39	39	9contract currently provides benefits for identical services rendered by a health care provider
40	40	10licensed by the commonwealth; and (3) the reimbursement for the services provided shall be in 2 of 4
41	41	11the same amount as the reimbursement paid under the policy to a licensed physician performing
42	42	12the service in the area served. An insurer may not reduce the reimbursement paid to a licensed
43	43	13physician to achieve compliance with this section.
44	44	14 SECTION 2. Chapter 118E of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the
45	45	15following section:-
46	46	16 Section 80. The division shall provide coverage for services rendered by a certified nurse
47	47	17midwife designated to engage in the practice of nurse-midwifery by the board of registration in
48	48	18nursing pursuant to section 80C of chapter 112; provided, however, that the following conditions
49	49	19are met: (1) the service rendered is within the scope of the certified nurse midwife’s
50	50	20authorization to practice by the board of registration in nursing; (2) the policy or contract
51	51	21currently provides benefits for identical services rendered by a health care provider licensed by
52	52	22the commonwealth; and (3) the reimbursement for the services provided shall be in the same
53	53	23amount as the reimbursement paid under the policy to a licensed physician performing the
54	54	24service in the area served. An insurer may not reduce the reimbursement paid to a licensed
55	55	25physician to achieve compliance with this section.
56	56	26 SECTION 3. Section 47E of Chapter 175 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
57	57	27Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following sentences:- The reimbursement for
58	58	28the services provided pursuant to this section shall be in the same amount as the reimbursement
59	59	29paid under the policy to a licensed physician performing the service in the area served. An
60	60	30insurer may not reduce the reimbursement paid to a licensed physician in order to comply with
61	61	31this section. 3 of 4
62	62	32 SECTION 4. Chapter 176A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
63	63	33section 8OO the following section:-
64	64	34 Section 8PP. Any contract between a subscriber and the corporation under an individual
65	65	35or group hospital service plan which is delivered, issued or renewed in the commonwealth shall
66	66	36provide as a benefit to all individual subscribers and members within the commonwealth and to
67	67	37all group members having a principal place of employment within the commonwealth for
68	68	38services rendered by a certified nurse midwife designated to engage in the practice of nurse-
69	69	39midwifery by the board of registration in nursing pursuant to section 80C of chapter 112;
70	70	40provided, however, that the following conditions are met: (1) the service rendered is within the
71	71	41scope of the certified nurse midwife’s authorization to practice by the board of registration in
72	72	42nursing; (2) the policy or contract currently provides benefits for identical services rendered by a
73	73	43health care provider licensed by the commonwealth; and (3) the reimbursement for the services
74	74	44provided shall be in the same amount as the reimbursement paid under the policy to a licensed
75	75	45physician performing the service in the area served. An insurer may not reduce the
76	76	46reimbursement paid to a licensed physician in order to comply with this section.
77	77	47 SECTION 5. Section 4G of Chapter 176B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
78	78	48Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following sentences:- The reimbursement for
79	79	49the services provided pursuant to this section shall be in the same amount as the reimbursement
80	80	50paid under the policy to a licensed physician performing the service in the area served. An
81	81	51insurer may not reduce the reimbursement paid to a licensed physician in order to comply with
82	82	52this section. 4 of 4
83	83	53 SECTION 6. Section 4 of Chapter 176G of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
84	84	54amended by adding the following subsection:-
85	85	55 (g) services rendered by a certified nurse midwife designated to engage in the practice of
86	86	56nurse-midwifery by the board of registration in nursing pursuant to section 80C of chapter 112,
87	87	57subject to the terms of a negotiated agreement between the health maintenance organization and
88	88	58the provider of health care services. The reimbursement for the services provided shall be in the
89	89	59same amount as the reimbursement paid under the policy to a licensed physician performing the
90	90	60service in the area served. An insurer may not reduce the reimbursement paid to a licensed
91	91	61physician in order to comply with this section.