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An Act To Promote Patient Choice and Access to Health Care
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  24-A MRSA §2748, sub-§5  is enacted to read:
 
5.  Reimbursement; discrimination.     An insurer subject to this section may not refuse to reimburse a chiropractic provider who participates in the insurer's provider network for providing a health care service or procedure covered by the insurer as long as the chiropractic provider is acting within the lawful scope of that provider's license in the delivery of the covered service or procedure. Consistent with reasonable medical management techniques specified under the insurer's contract with respect to the method, treatment or setting for a covered service or procedure, the insurer may not discriminate based on the chiropractic provider's license. This subsection does not require an insurer to accept all chiropractic providers into a network or govern the amount of the reimbursement paid to a chiropractic provider.
Sec. 2.  24-A MRSA §2840-A, sub-§5  is enacted to read:
 
5.  Reimbursement; discrimination.     An insurer subject to this section may not refuse to reimburse a chiropractic provider who participates in the insurer's provider network for providing a health care service or procedure covered by the insurer as long as the chiropractic provider is acting within the lawful scope of that provider's license in the delivery of the covered service or procedure. Consistent with reasonable medical management techniques specified under the insurer's contract with respect to the method, treatment or setting for a covered service or procedure, the insurer may not discriminate based on the chiropractic provider's license. This subsection does not require an insurer to accept all chiropractic providers into a network or govern the amount of the reimbursement paid to a chiropractic provider.
Sec. 3. 24-A MRSA §4236, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 669, §6, is amended to read:
 
2. Benefits; discrimination.   The health maintenance organization shall provide benefits covering care by chiropractic providers at least equal to and consistent with the benefits paid to other health care providers treating similar neuro-musculoskeletal conditions. A health maintenance organization may not refuse to reimburse a chiropractic provider who participates in the health maintenance organization's provider network for providing a health care service or procedure covered by the health maintenance organization as long as the chiropractic provider is acting within the lawful scope of that provider's license in the delivery of the covered service or procedure. Consistent with reasonable medical management techniques specified under the health maintenance organization's contract with respect to the method, treatment or setting for a covered service or procedure, the health maintenance organization may not discriminate based on the chiropractic provider's license. This subsection does not require a health maintenance organization to accept all chiropractic providers into a network or govern the reimbursement paid to a chiropractic provider.
Sec. 4. Application. The requirements of this Act apply to all policies, contracts and certificates executed, delivered, issued for delivery, continued or renewed in this State on or after January 1, 2016. For purposes of this Act, all contracts are deemed to be renewed no later than the next yearly anniversary of the contract date.
 
Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 127th Legislature, First Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.