Maryland 2024 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB1331 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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33 EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
44 [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
55 *hb1331*
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77 HOUSE BILL 1331
88 J5 4lr2664
99
1010 By: Delegate Taveras
1111 Introduced and read first time: February 9, 2024
1212 Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
1313
1414 A BILL ENTITLED
1515
1616 AN ACT concerning 1
1717
1818 Health Insurance – Massage Therapy – Required Coverage and Prohibited Cost 2
1919 Sharing 3
2020
2121 FOR the purpose of requiring certain insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health 4
2222 maintenance organizations to provide coverage for massage therapy; prohibiting the 5
2323 insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations from 6
2424 imposing a copayment, coinsurance, or deductible requirement on coverage for 7
2525 massage therapy; and generally relating to health insurance and massage therapy. 8
2626
2727 BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 9
2828 Article – Health Occupations 10
2929 Section 6–101(a) and (f) 11
3030 Annotated Code of Maryland 12
3131 (2021 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 13
3232
3333 BY adding to 14
3434 Article – Insurance 15
3535 Section 15–861 16
3636 Annotated Code of Maryland 17
3737 (2017 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 18
3838
3939 SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
4040 That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
4141
4242 Article – Health Occupations 21
4343
4444 6–101. 22
4545
4646 (a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 23
4747 2 HOUSE BILL 1331
4848
4949
5050 (f) (1) “Massage therapy” means the use of manual techniques on soft tissues 1
5151 of the human body including stroking, kneading, tapping, stretching, compression, 2
5252 vibration, and friction, with or without the aid of heat limited to hot packs and heating 3
5353 pads, cold water, or nonlegend topical applications, for the purpose of improving circulation, 4
5454 enhancing muscle relaxation, relieving muscular pain, reducing stress, or promoting health 5
5555 and well–being. 6
5656
5757 (2) “Massage therapy” includes hands–on application, consisting of 7
5858 pressure or movement on an individual, to specifically affect the electromagnetic energy or 8
5959 energetic field of the human body if this practice includes use of the manual techniques set 9
6060 forth in paragraph (1) of this subsection. 10
6161
6262 (3) “Massage therapy” does not include: 11
6363
6464 (i) The diagnosis of illness, disease, or injury; 12
6565
6666 (ii) The adjustment, manipulation, or mobilization of any of the 13
6767 articulations of the osseous structures of the human body or spine; or 14
6868
6969 (iii) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the laying 15
7070 on of hands, consisting of pressure or movement on an individual who is fully clothed, 16
7171 except for footwear, to specifically affect the electromagnetic energy or energetic field of the 17
7272 human body. 18
7373
7474 (4) The provisions of paragraph (3) of this subsection do not preclude the 19
7575 application of the modalities described in paragraph (1) of this subsection to an individual 20
7676 who has an injury. 21
7777
7878 Article – Insurance 22
7979
8080 15–861. 23
8181
8282 (A) IN THIS SECTION, “MASSAGE THERAPY ” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 24
8383 6–101 OF THE HEALTH OCCUPATIONS ARTICLE. 25
8484
8585 (B) THIS SECTION APPLIES TO: 26
8686
8787 (1) INSURERS AND NONPROF IT HEALTH SERVICE PL ANS THAT 27
8888 PROVIDE HOSPITAL , MEDICAL, OR SURGICAL BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS OR GR OUPS 28
8989 ON AN EXPENSE–INCURRED BASIS UNDER HEALTH INSURANCE POL ICIES OR 29
9090 CONTRACTS THAT ARE I SSUED OR DELIVERED I N THE STATE; AND 30
9191
9292 (2) HEALTH MAINTENANCE O RGANIZATIONS THAT PR OVIDE 31
9393 HOSPITAL, MEDICAL, OR SURGICAL BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS OR GR OUPS UNDER 32
9494 CONTRACTS THAT AR E ISSUED OR DELIVERE D IN THE STATE. 33
9595 HOUSE BILL 1331 3
9696
9797
9898 (C) (1) AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THIS SECTION: 1
9999
100100 (I) SHALL PROVIDE COVERA GE FOR MASSAGE THERAPY ; AND 2
101101
102102 (II) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , MAY 3
103103 NOT IMPOSE A COPAYME NT, COINSURANCE , OR DEDUCTIBLE REQUIR EMENT ON 4
104104 COVERAGE FOR MASSAGE THERAPY . 5
105105
106106 (2) IF AN INSURED OR ENRO LLEE IS COVERED UNDE R A 6
107107 HIGH–DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PL AN, AS DEFINED IN 26 U.S.C. § 223, AN ENTITY 7
108108 SUBJECT TO THIS SECT ION MAY SUBJECT MASSAGE THER APY TO THE DEDUCTIBL E 8
109109 REQUIREMENT OF THE H IGH–DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PL AN. 9
110110
111111 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall apply to all 10
112112 policies, contracts, and health benefit plans issued, delivered, or renewed in the State on or 11
113113 after January 1, 2025. 12
114114
115115 SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 13
116116 January 1, 2025. 14