Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 175 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 47L the following section:-

Section 47M. All individual or group accident and health insurance policies and health service contracts delivered, issued or renewed by an insurer or nonprofit health service corporation which provide benefits to individual subscribers and members within the commonwealth or to all group members having a principal place of employment within the commonwealth shall provide benefits for services rendered by a certified registered nurse anesthetist designated as such a certified registered nurse anesthetist by the board of registration in nursing pursuant to the provisions of section eighty B of chapter one hundred and twelve; provided, however, that the following conditions are met: (1) the service rendered is within the scope of the certified registered nurse anesthetist's license; and (2) the policy or contract currently provides benefits for identical services rendered by a provider of health care licensed by the commonwealth.

SECTION 2. Chapter 176A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 8N the following section:-

Section 8 O. Any contract between a subscriber and the corporation under an individual or group hospital service plan delivered, issued or renewed in the commonwealth shall provide as benefits to all individual subscribers and members within the commonwealth and to all group members having a principal place of employment within the commonwealth, for services rendered by a certified registered nurse anesthetist designated as such a certified registered nurse anesthetist by the board of registration in nursing pursuant to the provisions of section eighty B of chapter one hundred and twelve; provided, however, that the following conditions are met: (1) the service rendered is within the scope of the certified registered nurse anesthetist's license; and (2) the policy or contract currently provides benefits for identical services rendered by a provider of health care licensed by the commonwealth.

SECTION 3. Chapter 176B of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 4M. Any subscription certificate under an individual or group medical service agreement delivered, issued or renewed in the commonwealth shall provide as benefits to all individual subscribers and members within the commonwealth and to all group members having a principal place of employment within the commonwealth, for services rendered by a certified registered nurse anesthetist designated as such a certified registered nurse anesthetist by the board of registration in nursing pursuant to the provisions of section eighty B of chapter one hundred and twelve; provided, however, that the following conditions are met: (1) the service rendered is within the scope of the certified registered nurse anesthetist's license; and (2) the policy or contract currently provides benefits for identical services rendered by a provider of health care licensed by the commonwealth.

SECTION 4. The first paragraph of section 4 of chapter 176G of the General Laws, as appearing in the 1992 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following sentence:- Such health maintenance contract shall also provide coverage for services rendered by a certified registered nurse anesthetist as set forth in section forty-seven M of chapter one hundred and seventy-five, subject to the terms of a negotiated agreement between the health maintenance organization and the provider of health care services.