HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1737        FILED ON: 1/17/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 989

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Theodore C. Speliotis

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to Lyme Disease treatment coverage.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Theodore C. Speliotis

13th Essex

1/17/2013

David Paul Linsky

5th Middlesex

 

Daniel A. Wolf

Cape and Islands

 

Timothy R. Madden

Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket

 

Sarah K. Peake

4th Barnstable

 

William Smitty Pignatelli

4th Berkshire

 

Bradford Hill

4th Essex

 

Anne M. Gobi

5th Worcester

 

Brian R. Mannal

2nd Barnstable

 

Todd M. Smola

1st Hampden

 

Ruth B. Balser

12th Middlesex

 

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

 

Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.

12th Hampden

 

Josh S. Cutler

6th Plymouth

 

Cleon H. Turner

1st Barnstable

 

Eileen M. Donoghue

First Middlesex

 

William N. Brownsberger

Second Suffolk and Middlesex

 

Chris Walsh

6th Middlesex

 

David M. Rogers

24th Middlesex

 

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

 

John V. Fernandes

10th Worcester

 

Christopher M. Markey

9th Bristol

 

John J. Lawn, Jr.

10th Middlesex

 

Jonathan D. Zlotnik

2nd Worcester

 

Denise C. Garlick

13th Norfolk

 

Stephen L. DiNatale

3rd Worcester

 

Paul K. Frost

7th Worcester

 

Thomas M. McGee

Third Essex

 

Ellen Story

3rd Hampshire

 

Michael J. Rodrigues

First Bristol and Plymouth

 

James E. Timilty

Bristol and Norfolk

 

Robert F. Fennell

10th Essex

 

Sheila C. Harrington

1st Middlesex

 

Tom Sannicandro

7th Middlesex

 

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

 

Marjorie C. Decker

25th Middlesex

 

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1737        FILED ON: 1/17/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 989

By Mr. Speliotis of Danvers, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 989) of Theodore C. Speliotis and others relative to Lyme Disease treatment coverage.  Financial Services.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 329 OF 2011-2012.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

_______________

 

An Act relative to Lyme Disease treatment coverage.

 

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 111, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting, after section 218, the following new sections:

SECTION 219. Every individual or group hospital or medical expense insurance policy or individual or group hospital or medical services plan contract delivered, issued for delivery or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2010, shall provide for Lyme disease treatment.

SECTION 220. Every individual or group hospital or medical expense insurance policy or individual or group hospital or medical services plan contract delivered, issued for delivery or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2010, shall provide coverage for diagnostic testing and long-term antibiotic treatment of chronic Lyme disease when determined to be medically necessary and ordered by a physician after making a thorough evaluation of the patient’s symptoms, diagnostic test results and response to treatment. Treatment otherwise eligible for benefits pursuant to this section shall not be denied solely because such treatment may be characterized as unproven, experimental, or investigational in nature. Provided, however, this section shall not apply to insurance coverage providing benefits for:

Hospital confinement indemnity;

Disability income;

Accident only;

Long-term care;

Medicare supplement;

Limited benefit health;

Specified disease indemnity;

Sickness or bodily injury or death by accident or both; and

Other limited benefit policies.

Section 221. Subscribers to any health maintenance organization plan shall be afforded coverage under that plan on or after January 1, 2010 for diagnostic testing and long term antibiotic treatment of chronic Lyme disease when determined to be medically necessary and ordered by a physician after making a thorough evaluation of the patient’s symptoms, diagnostic test results and response to treatment. Treatment otherwise eligible for benefits pursuant to this section shall not be denied solely because such treatment may be characterized as unproven, experimental, or investigational in nature.