SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1388        FILED ON: 1/14/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 493

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act Relative to Cognitive Rehabilitation..

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 176B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2002 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding Section 21 at the end thereof:

Cognitive rehabilitation benefits

Section 21.  Any subscription certificate under an individual or group medical service agreement, which shall be delivered or issued or renewed in the commonwealth shall provide, as a basic benefit to all individual subscribers and members within the commonwealth and to all group members having a principal place of employment within the commonwealth for expenses for cognitive rehabilitation. Cognitive rehabilitation shall mean multidisciplinary, medically necessary treatments following a stroke or other types of brain injuries when the plan of care documents specific diagnosis-related goals that address cognitive deficits that impair a persons' functional ability (e.g. attention, language, memory, reasoning, executive functions, problem solving and visual processing) and the member is expected to make functional improvements. Cognitive treatment shall be provided either in a hospital, inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation facility or other appropriate setting and shall meet standards promulgated by the department of public health after reviewing proposals submitted by the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts and after notice and public hearing on the proposed standards.