Official State Actions and
Collaborative Advocacy
on Non-Discrimination and Sect. 2706
Update of March 1, 2017
Archive of Previous Summaries
Minnesota
“Minnesota Fair Care” Introduces bills to House and Senate
MN Fair Care, the multi-disciplinary group of practitioners that has been working since 2014 to develop options for advancing non-discrimination and expanded, equitable access to all licensed providers, has attained strong support in both state House and Senate chambers for its new bill, “The Minnesota Fair Care Act: Patients’ Rights & Provider Nondiscrimination.”
This legislation builds on the version introduced into the shorted legislative session of 2016. In that time, the coalition has attracted more member organizations representing patients and providers. The bill also addresses the rapid growth in deductibles and contains provisions that will allow people to spend their health plan deductible dollars on licensed providers of their choice, whether those providers are in the plan network or not.
Vermont
H.282 Introduced: Requires Reimbursement for Acupuncture
Vermont house bill 282 builds on the legislation passed in the summer of 2016 that brought acupuncture into the state’s opioid management bill, to include a $200,000 Medicaid pilot program in which acupuncturists are providing treatment for pain management and addressing the addiction issue.
Both the 2016 bill and H.282 were developed by People for Acupuncture, a 501(c)4 advocacy organization formed in late 2015. The work of PFA has now been taken over by the Vermont Acupuncture Association, and the PFA has been disbanded. The bill would go into effect in Oct. 2017. Example language from its provisions:
“Coverage for medically necessary healthcare services delivered by an acupuncturist licensed pursuant to (state statues) and acting within his or her scope of practice.”
Nevada
Uncovered 1981 statute ensures equal coverage for chiropractors
Research by the Nevada insurance commission in 2016 turned up a forgotten statute that was written in 1981 to provide parity of reimbursement for the state’s chiropractic physicians. In the late winter and spring of 2017 the state is developing its process for implementation of the provisions of the rule. This process has included public hearings.