Lyle H. Abbas, F. Dow Bates, Bradley J. Brown, Sidney E. Carter, Brad Chicoine, Russell J. Cox, Paul D. Eberline, Joseph N. Geelan, Richard W. Haas, Rex J. Jones, Keith L. Klemme, Elizabeth C. Kressin, Steven J. Kraus, Mark A. Kruse, Rodney D. Langel, Ronald O. Masters II, Kevin Miller, Steven A. Mueller, Mark A. Niles, Valorie J. Prahl, Jennifer A. Rasmussen, Rod R. Rebarcak, Randall P. Stange, Lance E. Vanderloo, Kenneth

893 N.W.2d 879, 2017 WL 1417808, 2017 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 39
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedApril 21, 2017
Docket15–1248
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 893 N.W.2d 879 (Lyle H. Abbas, F. Dow Bates, Bradley J. Brown, Sidney E. Carter, Brad Chicoine, Russell J. Cox, Paul D. Eberline, Joseph N. Geelan, Richard W. Haas, Rex J. Jones, Keith L. Klemme, Elizabeth C. Kressin, Steven J. Kraus, Mark A. Kruse, Rodney D. Langel, Ronald O. Masters II, Kevin Miller, Steven A. Mueller, Mark A. Niles, Valorie J. Prahl, Jennifer A. Rasmussen, Rod R. Rebarcak, Randall P. Stange, Lance E. Vanderloo, Kenneth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lyle H. Abbas, F. Dow Bates, Bradley J. Brown, Sidney E. Carter, Brad Chicoine, Russell J. Cox, Paul D. Eberline, Joseph N. Geelan, Richard W. Haas, Rex J. Jones, Keith L. Klemme, Elizabeth C. Kressin, Steven J. Kraus, Mark A. Kruse, Rodney D. Langel, Ronald O. Masters II, Kevin Miller, Steven A. Mueller, Mark A. Niles, Valorie J. Prahl, Jennifer A. Rasmussen, Rod R. Rebarcak, Randall P. Stange, Lance E. Vanderloo, Kenneth, 893 N.W.2d 879, 2017 WL 1417808, 2017 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 39 (iowa 2017).

Opinions

WIGGINS, Justice.

Twenty-six chiropractors petitioned for judicial review of the Iowa Insurance Commissioner’s decision that health insurers did not violate Iowa Code section 514F.2 (2013). The district court upheld the commissioner’s decision, and the chiropractors appealed. We hold that (1) the interpretation of section 514F.2 has not been clearly vested by a provision of law in the discretion of the commissioner, (2) section 514F.2 regulates payments to providers, (3) the health insurer’s payments for chiropractic care are not based solely on licen-sure, and (4) the Employee Retirement Security Program (ERISA) preempts the application of Iowa Code section 514F.2 to self-funded health plans. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the district court.

I. Background Facts and Proceedings.

The appellants are Iowa-licensed chiropractors. Chiropractors obtain a license in Iowa by completing a high-school education, graduating from an approved college of chiropractic, and passing an exam issued by the board of chiropractic. Iowa Code § 151.3. A chiropractic license does not authorize a chiropractor to practice surgery or administer or prescribe prescription drugs or controlled substances. Id. § 151.5.

The intervenor in this case is Wellmark, Inc. d/b/a Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa and Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa, Inc. Wellmark sells health insurance plans to individuals and employer groups. It also provides administrative services to assist others who provide health insurance coverage, such as self-funded governmental entity plans. Mueller v. Wellmark, Inc., 818 N.W.2d 244, 248 (Iowa 2012). Wellmark offers both preferred provider organization (PPO) plans and health maintenance organization (HMO) plans.

For the PPO, Wellmark creates a network of preferred healthcare providers, including doctors of chiropractic, medical doctors, and osteopathic doctors. Mueller, 818 N.W.2d at 248. It incentivizes its members to use its preferred provider panel. Id. Chiropractors are preferred providers of Wellmark’s PPO network. Wellmark enters into contracts governing the terms and conditions of treatment as well as fee schedules with its preferred providers. Id. Preferred providers must adhere to these contracts to receive compensation from Wellmark for services provided to Well-mark’s members. Id. Preferred provider arrangements are expressly encouraged by the Iowa legislature as a healthcare cost control mechanism. See Iowa Code § 514F.2. The legislature has directed the commissioner to regulate these preferred provider arrangements. Id. § 514F.3.

For the HMO, Wellmark has an agreement with the Iowa Chiropractic Physicians Clinic (ICPC), a chiropractic network, to provide care to its members. Wellmark pays ICPC a certain rate per member regardless if members seek chiro[883]*883practic care, which is an arrangement known as a capitated rate.

. Prior to 1986, Iowa law prohibited coverage for chiropractic services by healthcare service corporations. Health Care Equalization Comm. of Iowa Chiropractic Soc. v. Iowa Med. Soc., 501 F.Supp. 970, 990 (S.D. Iowa 1980), aff'd, 851 F.2d 1020 (8th Cir, 1988). In 1986, the legislature enacted House File 2219 to provide for the “payment by corporations subject to chapters 509, 514, and 514B for services performed by chiropractors.” 1986 Iowa Acts ch. 1180. The Code now requires

payment or reimbursement for necessary diagnosis or treatment provided by a chiropractor licensed under chapter 151, if the diagnosis or treatment is provided within the scope of the chiropractor’s license and if the policy would pay or reimburse for the diagnosis or treatment by [medical doctors and osteopathic doctors] of the human ailment, irrespective of and disregarding variances in terminology employed by the various licensed professions in describing the human ailment or its diagnosis or its treatment.

Iowa Code § 509.3(1)00 (2013). It is undisputed chiropractors have agreements with Wellmark to provide services to its members in the PPO and HMO networks for payment or reimbursement. It is also undisputed Wellmark’s PPO pays chiropractors less than licensed medical doctors and osteopathic doctors for several services, including office visits, manual adjustments, and x-rays. Further, the fees paid at a capitated rate to the chiropractors in the HMO network are less than the fees paid by Wellmark to the chiropractors in Well-mark’s PPO network.

Following our decision in Mueller v. Wellmark, 818 N.W.2d at 258, where we ruled that Iowa Code section 514F.2 does not grant a private right of action and dismissed the claim, the chiropractors brought this action. On November 30, 2012, the chiropractors submitted a request for contested case proceeding to the commissioner, alleging Wellmark wrongfully imposes restrictions and pays lower rates for chiropractic services than for equivalent services offered by medical and osteopathic doctors in violation of Iowa Code section 514F.2.

Section 514F.2 provides,

Nothing contained in the chapters of Title XIII, subtitle 1, of the Code1 shall be construed to prohibit or discourage insurers, nonprofit service corporations, health maintenance organizations, or self-insurers for health care benefits to employees from providing payments of benefits or providing care and treatment under capitated payment systems, prospective reimbursement rate systems, utilization control systems, incentive systems for the use of least restrictive and least costly levels of care, preferred provider contracts limiting choice of specific provider, or other systems, methods or organizations designed to contain costs without sacrificing care or treatment outcome, provided these systems do not limit or make optional payment or reimbursement for health care services on a basis solely related to the license under or the practices authorized by chapter 151 or on a basis that is dependent upon a method of classification, categorization, or description based upon differences in terminology used by different licensees under the chapters of Title IV, subtitle 3, of the Code in describing human ailments or their diagnosis or treatment.

Iowa Code § 514F.2.

On December 14,' the parties submitted a stipulation outlining the issues for the commissioner to decide:

[884]*8841. Are the fees paid by Wellmark, Inc. to chiropractors unlawfully discriminatory in violation of Iowa Code § 514F.2?

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