Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S722 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 961 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 722
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	John C. Velis
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 relative to the practice of acupuncture.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :John C. VelisHampden and Hampshire 1 of 5
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 961 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 722
18	18	By Mr. Velis, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 722) of John C. Velis for legislation
19	19	relative to the practice of acupuncture. Financial Services.
20	20	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
21	21	SEE SENATE, NO. 1458 OF 2021-2022.]
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
25	25	(2023-2024)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act relative to the practice of acupuncture.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 111 of the general laws, as amended by chapter 47 of the acts of
31	31	22017, is hereby amended by adding the following section:-
32	32	3 Section 238. There shall be a commission on acupuncture and wellness within the
33	33	4department. The commission shall consist of: the commissioner of public health or the
34	34	5commissioner’s designee, who shall chair the commission; the commissioner of insurance or the
35	35	6commissioner’s designee; the director of MassHealth or the director’s designee; the director of
36	36	7the board of registration in medicine or the director’s designee; the senate chair of the joint
37	37	8committee on public health; the house chair of the joint committee on public health; a member
38	38	9representing a statewide organization of licensed acupuncturists; a member representing a
39	39	10statewide organization of medical acupuncturists; a member representing the Massachusetts 2 of 5
40	40	11Public Health Association; and 5 members to be selected by the Governor including: no fewer
41	41	12than 2 acupuncturists, licensed and practicing in the state of Massachusetts; a member
42	42	13representing one of the top five health insurance companies in Massachusetts according to
43	43	14market share, a member representing a health care consumer organization, and a member
44	44	15currently practicing as a licensed physician in Massachusetts.
45	45	16 The commission on acupuncture and wellness shall make an investigation and
46	46	17comprehensive study of the potential for better integrated use of acupuncture services to expand
47	47	18access, reduce health care costs, and provide improved quality of care to Massachusetts
48	48	19residents. The commission shall:
49	49	20 (1) Consider strategies to evaluate and implement effective integration of acupuncture
50	50	21services in health care delivery in Massachusetts with specific focus on interventions in pain
51	51	22management, substance abuse treatment, and wellness promotion.
52	52	23 (2) Consider strategies to effectively integrate acupuncture treatment modalities into
53	53	24alternative payment models, including, but not limited to, accountable care organizations,
54	54	25workplace wellness programs and provider organizations established under chapter 224 of the
55	55	26acts of 2012.
56	56	27 (3) Consider strategies regarding reimbursement of licensed acupuncturists via third party
57	57	28payors or otherwise to facilitate a stable and sustainable integration of acupuncture services into
58	58	29the broader system of health care delivery.
59	59	30 The commission on acupuncture and wellness shall submit to the secretary of health and
60	60	31human services and the joint committee public health, six months after the effective date of this 3 of 5
61	61	32act and annually thereafter, a report that includes findings from the commission’s review along
62	62	33with recommendations and any suggested legislation to implement those recommendations.
63	63	34 SECTION 2. Chapter 175 of the general laws, as so appearing in the 2022 official
64	64	35edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 47II, the following section:-
65	65	36 Section 47JJ. (a) All individual or group accident and health insurance policies and health
66	66	37service contracts delivered, issued or renewed by an insurer or nonprofit health service
67	67	38corporation which provide benefits to individual subscribers and members within the
68	68	39commonwealth or to all group members having a principal place of employment within the
69	69	40commonwealth shall provide benefits for acupuncture and oriental medicine based diagnosis and
70	70	41treatment in the areas of pain management, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse
71	71	42treatment, and nausea.
72	72	43 SECTION 3. Said chapter 175 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 205
73	73	44the following section:-
74	74	45 Section 205A. (a) The commissioner shall not approve a policy under section 205 that
75	75	46does not provide benefits for acupuncture and oriental medicine based diagnosis and treatment in
76	76	47the areas of pain management, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse treatment, and
77	77	48nausea.
78	78	49 SECTION 4. Chapter 176A of the general laws, as so appearing in the 2022 official
79	79	50edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 8KK, the following section:-
80	80	51 Section 8NN. (a) Any contract between a subscriber and the corporation under an
81	81	52individual or group hospital service plan delivered, issued or renewed in the commonwealth shall 4 of 5
82	82	53provide as benefits to all individual subscribers and members within the commonwealth and to
83	83	54all group members having a principal place of employment within the commonwealth
84	84	55acupuncture and oriental medicine based diagnosis and treatment in the areas of pain
85	85	56management, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse treatment, and nausea.
86	86	57 SECTION 5. Chapter 176B of the general laws, as so appearing in the 2022 official
87	87	58edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 4KK, the following section:-
88	88	59 Section 4NN. (a) Any subscription certificate under an individual or group medical
89	89	60service agreement delivered, issued or renewed in the commonwealth shall provide benefits to all
90	90	61individual subscribers and members within the commonwealth and to all group members having
91	91	62a principal place of employment within the commonwealth for acupuncture and oriental
92	92	63medicine based diagnosis and treatment in the areas of pain management, post-traumatic stress
93	93	64disorder, substance abuse treatment, and nausea.
94	94	65 SECTION 6. Chapter 176G of the general laws, as so appearing in the 2022 official
95	95	66edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 4CC, the following section:-
96	96	67 Section 4DD. (a) Any group health maintenance contract shall provide coverage for
97	97	68acupuncture and oriental medicine based diagnosis and treatment in the areas of pain
98	98	69management, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse treatment, and nausea.
99	99	70 SECTION 7. Chapter 32A of the general laws, as so appearing in the 2022 official
100	100	71edition, is hereby amended by inserting after Section 17O, the following section:-
101	101	72 Section 17R. The commission shall provide to an active or retired employee of the
102	102	73commonwealth who is insured under the group insurance commission coverage for acupuncture 5 of 5
103	103	74and oriental medicine based diagnosis and treatment in the areas of pain management, post-
104	104	75traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse treatment, and nausea.
105	105	76 SECTION 8. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, no third party
106	106	77payer of health care services shall differentiate reimbursement rates for acupuncture services by
107	107	78provider type. Only licensed acupuncturists or medical doctors shall be reimbursed for
108	108	79acupuncture services.