HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1363        FILED ON: 1/18/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1021

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Colleen M. Garry

_________________

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 concerning the safety of autistic and alzheimer individuals.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Colleen M. Garry

36th Middlesex

1/10/2023

Rodney M. Elliott

16th Middlesex

1/23/2023

Marcus S. Vaughn

9th Norfolk

1/23/2023


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1363        FILED ON: 1/18/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1021

By Representative Garry of Dracut, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1021) of Colleen M. Garry, Rodney M. Elliott and Marcus S. Vaughn for legislation to provide insurance coverage for the use of electronic tracking devices to protect the safety of persons with Autism spectrum disorder or Alzheimer’s disease.  Financial Services.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1096 OF 2021-2022.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

_______________

 

An Act concerning the safety of autistic and alzheimer individuals.

 

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 118E of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 9C the following section:-

Section 9D. (a) Definitions. As used in the section: 

(i) “Technology-Assisted Tracking Device” shall mean any wearable device that complies with the following imperatives:

a)Waterproof and able to function under water (which is a major destination as seen above), compliant with IP66 and IP68 standards

b) Works indoors or under cover (Radio Frequency is the best technology for this), and does not need direct line of sight to the sky (GPS)

c) Not dependent on third-party public communication networks (such as cellular, GSM, GPRS, or similar as these are NOT prevalent everywhere)

d) Wrist or ankle strap needs to be tamper-resistant, but changeable by the caregiver directly

e) System specifics need to avoid false alarms in order not to waste LE and SAR time, and have a patient specific code for each device so as to avoid mistaken identities

(b) A health benefit plan shall provide full coverage, subject to all applicable co-payments, coinsurance, deductibles, and out-of-pocket limits, for insured individuals who are diagnosed by a license physician with dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or Autism spectrum Disorder, to obtain a Technology-Assisted Tracking Device if they or their guardian choose.