§ 27-18-48 — § 27-18-48. Third-party reimbursement for services of certain healthcare workers.

§ 27-18-48. Third-party reimbursement for services of certain healthcare workers.

(a) Every individual or group hospital or medical services plan contract delivered, issued, or renewed by an insurer or nonprofit or for-profit health service corporation that provides benefits to individual subscribers and members within the state, or to all group members having a principal place of employment within the state, shall provide benefits for services rendered by a certified registered nurse anesthetist designated as a certified registered nurse anesthetist by the board of nurse registration and nursing education; provided, that the following conditions are met:

(1) The certified registered nurse anesthetist adheres to the practice of certified registered nurse anesthesia as defined by, and in accordance with, § 5-34.2-2;

(2) The policy or contract currently provides benefits for identical services rendered by a provider of health care licensed by the state; and

(3) The certified registered nurse anesthetist is not a salaried employee of the licensed hospital or facility for which the accident and sickness insurer has an alternative contractual relationship to fund the services of a certified registered nurse anesthetist.

(b) It shall remain within the sole discretion of the health maintenance organization as to which certified registered nurse anesthetists it shall contract with. Reimbursement shall be provided according to the respective principles and policies of the health maintenance organization; provided, that no health maintenance organization may be required to pay for duplicative services actually rendered by a certified registered nurse anesthetist and any other healthcare provider. Nothing contained in this section shall preclude the health maintenance organization from conducting managed care, medical necessity, or utilization review.

(c) Providers. A group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage shall not discriminate with respect to participation under the plan or coverage against any healthcare provider who is acting within the scope of that provider's license or certification under applicable state law. This section shall not require that a group health plan or health insurance issuer contract with any healthcare provider willing to abide by the terms and conditions for participation established by the plan or issuer. Nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing a group health plan or a health insurance issuer from establishing varying reimbursement rates based on quality or performance measures.

Legislative History

P.L. 1997, ch. 345, § 1; P.L. 1997, ch. 365, § 1; P.L. 2002, ch. 292, § 33; P.L. 2015, ch. 205, § 1; P.L. 2015, ch. 223, § 1.