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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2425 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2227
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
David Paul Linsky
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act regarding registered nurse first assistants.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:David Paul Linsky5th Middlesex1/19/2023 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2425 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2227
By Representative Linsky of Natick, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2227) of David
Paul Linsky relative to registered nurse first assistants. Public Health.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2352 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act regarding registered nurse first assistants.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 175 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
2section 47AA the following section:-
3 Section 47BB. When any individual or group blanket accident and sickness insurance
4policy and health service contract delivered, issued or renewed by an insurer or nonprofit health
5service corporation provides for payment of surgical first assisting benefits or services on behalf
6of individual subscribers and members within the common wealth or all group members having a
7principal place of employment within the commonwealth, such provision shall be construed as
8providing for payment of a registered nurse, licensed under section 80B of chapter 112, who
9provided such first assistant services. 2 of 3
10 SECTION 2. Chapter 176A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
11section 8DD the following section:-
12 Section 8EE. When any contract between a subscriber and the corporation under an
13individual or group hospital service plan delivered, issued or renewed in the commonwealth
14provides for the payment of surgical first assisting benefits on behalf of individual subscribers
15and members within the commonwealth and to all group members having a principal place of
16employment within the commonwealth, such provisions shall be construed as providing for
17payment of a registered nurse, licensed under section 80B of chapter 112, who provided such
18first assistant services.
19 SECTION 3. Chapter 176B of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
20section 4DD the following section:-
21 Section 4EE. When provisions for payment for surgical first assisting benefits or services
22exist in any subscription certificate under an individual or group medical service agreement
23delivered, issued or renewed in the commonwealth, such provisions shall be construed as
24providing for payment of a registered nurse, licensed under section 80B of chapter 112, who
25provided such first assistant services.
26 SECTION 4. Section 4 of chapter 176G of the General Laws, is hereby amended by
27inserting after the word "period." in line 46, the following sentence: Such health maintenance
28organization contract, when providing for payment of surgical first assisting benefits or services,
29shall be construed as providing for payment of a registered nurse, licensed under section 80B of
30chapter 112, providing first assistant services 3 of 3
31 SECTION 5. (a) The department of' public health shall prepare a report on the provision
32of services by registered nurse first assistants and its effect on the quality of care for patients.
33Said report shall be a compilation of data reported by hospitals licensed under chapter 111 and
34insurers licensed under chapters 175, 176A, 176B and 176G. Such hospitals and insurers shall
35collect and report data that includes, but is not limited to, nursing data describing outcomes of
36the registered nurse first assistant, and may consider outcome measures which differentiate
37between severity of patient illness, mortality and morbidity rates, adverse complications, patient
38and family satisfaction with nursing care, patient safety, pain management, skin integrity
39management, medication administration and management, patient education and discharge
40planning.
41 (b) The commissioner of public health shall prepare said report in consultation with the
42commissioner of insurance, the director of the board of registration in nursing, the Massachusetts
43Nurses Association, Massachusetts Chapter I of the Association of PeriOperative Registered
44Nurses and the Massachusetts Hospital Association.
45 (c) The department shall file said report with the house and senate committees on ways
46and means and the joint committee on health care financing not later than September 1, 2024.