CHAPTER 272
SB 177 - FINAL VERSION
22june99.....1524h
7/1/99 1966eba
1999 SESSION
SENATE BILL 177
AN ACT allowing marriage and family therapists to obtain third party payment for services rendered which would otherwise qualify for such payments.
SPONSORS: Sen. Wheeler, Dist 21; Rep. C. Moore, Merr 19
This bill allows marriage and family therapists to obtain third party payments for services rendered which would otherwise qualify for such payments.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
22june99.....1524h
7/1/99 1966eba
99-0936
10/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine
AN ACT allowing marriage and family therapists to obtain third party payment for services rendered which would otherwise qualify for such payments.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
272:1 Accident and Health Insurance; Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists. Amend RSA 415:18-a, I to read as follows:
I. Each insurer that issues or renews any policy of group or blanket accident or health insurance providing benefits for medical or hospital expenses, shall provide to each group, or to the portion of each group comprised of certificate holders of such insurance who are residents of this state and whose principal place of employment is in this state, coverage for expenses arising from the treatment of mental illnesses and emotional disorders which, in the professional judgment of psychiatrists, licensed psychologists, licensed pastoral psychotherapists, psychiatric/mental health advanced registered nurse practitioners, licensed marriage and family therapists, and licensed clinical social workers, are subject to significant improvement through short-term therapy, and benefits for expenses arising from diagnosis and evaluation of all other mental illnesses and emotional disorders. Such benefits shall be at least as favorable to the certificate holder as the minimum benefits specified in paragraphs II, III and IV.
272:2 Accident and Health Insurance; Marriage and Family Therapists. Amend RSA 415:18-a, III(a) to read as follows:
(a) Benefits for services of a psychiatrist, licensed psychologist, licensed pastoral psychotherapist, psychiatric/mental health advanced registered nurse practitioner, licensed marriage and family therapist, or licensed clinical social worker who customarily bills patients directly shall be subject to terms and conditions at least as favorable as those which apply to the benefits for the services of physicians for other illnesses, and the ratio of the benefits to the fees reasonably and customarily charged for the services of such psychiatrists, licensed psychologists, licensed pastoral psychotherapists, psychiatric/mental health advanced registered nurse practitioners, licensed marriage and family therapists, or licensed clinical social workers shall be substantially the same as the ratio of the benefits for services of physicians for other illnesses to the fees reasonably and customarily charged for the services of such physicians for other illnesses.
272:3 Accident and Health Insurance; Marriage and Family Therapists. Amend RSA 415:18-a, IV to read as follows:
IV. In the case of policies or certificates providing benefits for hospital and medical expenses on a major medical basis, benefits shall be subject to deductibles and coinsurance at least as favorable as those which apply to the benefits for any other illness, provided that benefits payable for expenses incurred in any consecutive 12-month period may be limited to an amount not less than $3,000 per covered individual, and to a lifetime maximum of not less than $10,000 per covered individual. In this paragraph, covered major medical expenses include the reasonable charges for services and treatment on an inpatient, outpatient or partial hospitalization basis by a psychiatrist, a licensed psychologist, a licensed pastoral psychotherapist, a psychiatric/mental health advanced registered nurse practitioner, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed general hospital, a public or licensed mental hospital, or a community mental health center or psychiatric residential program approved according to rules adopted by the commissioner of the department of health and human services.
272:4 New Subparagraph; Definitions; Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Amend RSA 415:18-a, V by inserting after subparagraph (e) the following new subparagraph:
(f) "Licensed marriage and family therapist" means an individual who is licensed as a marriage and family therapist under RSA 330-A:21.
272:5 Accident and Health Insurance; Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists. Amend RSA 415:18-a, I to read as follows:
I. Each insurer that issues or renews any policy of group or blanket accident or health insurance providing benefits for medical or hospital expenses, shall provide to each group, or to the portion of each group comprised of certificate holders of such insurance who are residents of this state and whose principal place of employment is in this state, coverage for expenses arising from the treatment of mental illnesses and emotional disorders which, in the professional judgment of psychiatrists, licensed psychologists, licensed pastoral psychotherapists, psychiatric/mental health advanced registered nurse practitioners, licensed clinical mental health counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, and licensed clinical social workers, are subject to significant improvement through short-term therapy, and benefits for expenses arising from diagnosis and evaluation of all other mental illnesses and emotional disorders. Such benefits shall be at least as favorable to the certificate holder as the minimum benefits specified in paragraphs II, III and IV.
272:6 Accident and Health Insurance; Marriage and Family Therapists. Amend RSA 415:18-a, III(a) to read as follows:
(a) Benefits for services of a psychiatrist, licensed psychologist, licensed pastoral psychotherapist, psychiatric/mental health advanced registered nurse practitioner, licensed clinical mental health counselors, licensed marriage and family therapist, or licensed clinical social worker who customarily bills patients directly shall be subject to terms and conditions at least as favorable as those which apply to the benefits for the services of physicians for other illnesses, and the ratio of the benefits to the fees reasonably and customarily charged for the services of such psychiatrists, licensed psychologists, licensed pastoral psychotherapists, psychiatric/mental health advanced registered nurse practitioners, licensed clinical mental health counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, or licensed clinical social workers shall be substantially the same as the ratio of the benefits for services of physicians for other illnesses to the fees reasonably and customarily charged for the services of such physicians for other illnesses.
272:7 Accident and Health Insurance; Marriage and Family Therapists. Amend RSA 415:18-a, IV to read as follows:
IV. In the case of policies or certificates providing benefits for hospital and medical expenses on a major medical basis, benefits shall be subject to deductibles and coinsurance at least as favorable as those which apply to the benefits for any other illness, provided that benefits payable for expenses incurred in any consecutive 12-month period may be limited to an amount not less than $3,000 per covered individual, and to a lifetime maximum of not less than $10,000 per covered individual. In this paragraph, covered major medical expenses include the reasonable charges for services and treatment on an inpatient, outpatient or partial hospitalization basis by a psychiatrist, a licensed psychologist, a licensed pastoral psychotherapist, a psychiatric/mental health advanced registered nurse practitioner, a licensed clinical mental health counselor, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed general hospital, a public or licensed mental hospital, or a community mental health center or psychiatric residential program approved according to rules adopted by the commissioner of the department of health and human services.
272:8 New Subparagraph; Definitions; Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Amend RSA 415:18-a, V by inserting after subparagraph (f) the following new subparagraph:
(g) "Licensed marriage and family therapist" means an individual who is licensed as a marriage and family therapist under RSA 330-A:21.
272:9 Contingency. If SB 58 of the 1999 legislative session becomes law, section 1-4 of this act shall not take effect and sections 5-8 of this act shall take effect January 1, 2000 at 12:01 a.m. If SB 58 does not become law, sections 1-4 of this act shall take effect January 1, 2000 and sections 5-8 of this act shall not take effect.
272:10 Effective Date.
I. Sections 1-8 of this act shall take effect as provided in section 9 of this act.
II. Section 9 of this act shall take effect upon its passage.
(Approved: July 12, 1999)
(Effective Date: I. Sections 1-8 effective as provided in section 9
II. Section 9 effective July 12, 1999)