§ 27-41-57 - Acupuncture services. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 27-41-57

   § 27-41-57  Acupuncture services. –(a) Every group health insurance contract, plan, or group policy delivered,issued for delivery or renewed in this state which provides medical coverage,and every group policy which provides for treatment of persons for theprevention, cure or correction of any illness or physical or mental conditionshall provide, as an optional rider, coverage for the services of a doctor ofacupuncture as a provider of acupuncture services.

   (b) For the purposes of this section:

   (1) "Doctor of acupuncture" means a practitioner licensedunder chapter 37.2 of title 5.

   (2) "Coverage for the services of a doctor of acupuncture asa provider of acupuncture services" means coverage for acupuncture as definedin section 5-37.2-2(1).

   (c) It remains within the sole discretion of the healthmaintenance organization as to which doctor of acupuncture it contracts with.Reimbursement is provided according to the respective principles and policiesof the health maintenance organization; provided, that no health maintenanceorganization is required to pay for duplicative services actually rendered by adoctor of acupuncture and any other health care provider. Nothing contained inthis section precludes the health maintenance organization from conductingmanaged care, medical necessity or utilization review.