PRINTER'S NO. 549
No. 506 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY VANCE, BOSCOLA, EARLL, ERICKSON, GREENLEAF,
O'PAKE, ORIE, PUNT, RAFFERTY AND M. WHITE, MARCH 19, 2007
REFERRED TO BANKING AND INSURANCE, MARCH 19, 2007
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of December 19, 1986 (P.L.1737, No.209),
2 entitled "An act providing for reimbursement by insurance
3 companies, professional health service plan corporations,
4 fraternal benefit societies and voluntary nonprofit health
5 service plans for service performed by a registered nurse;
6 and providing further duties of the Insurance Department,"
7 adding a definition of "registered nurse first assistant";
8 and further providing for coverage.
9 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10 hereby enacts as follows:
11 Section 1. Section 2 of the act of December 19, 1986
12 (P.L.1737, No.209), known as the Insurance Payment to Registered
13 Nurse Law, is amended by adding a definition to read:
14 Section 2. Definitions.
15 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
16 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
17 context clearly indicates otherwise:
18 * * *
19 "Registered nurse first assistant." A person who:
20 (1) is licensed as a registered nurse in accordance with
1 the laws of this Commonwealth;
2 (2) holds an active certification in a "Certified Nurse
3 Operating Room (CNOR)" program that is annually reviewed and
4 deemed acceptable by the Competency and Credentialing
5 Institute or any other CNOR certification program that is
6 accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies
7 (NCCA); and
8 (3) has successfully completed a Registered Nurse First
9 Assistant (RNFA) program that is one academic year in length
10 and which is annually reviewed and deemed acceptable by the
11 Competency and Credentialing Institute or any other RNFA
12 program that is accredited by the National Commission for
13 Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
14 Section 2. Section 4(a) of the act is amended to read:
15 Section 4. Scope of coverage.
16 (a) General rule.--When a service is performed by a
17 registered nurse first assistant, certified registered nurse
18 anesthetist, certified registered nurse practitioner, certified
19 enterostomal therapy nurse, certified community health nurse,
20 certified psychiatric mental health nurse or certified clinical
21 nurse specialist, certified by the State Board of Nursing or a
22 national nursing organization recognized by the State Board of
23 Nursing and lawfully permitted to perform that service under the
24 act of May 22, 1951 (P.L.317, No.69), known as The Professional
25 Nursing Law, and a policy, contract or certificate provides for
26 reimbursement for that service, the insured or any other person
27 covered shall be entitled to reimbursement either to the insured
28 or to the registered professional nurse providing that service.
29 This section does not apply to registered professional nurses
30 who are employees of health care facilities as the term "health
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1 care facilities" is defined in the act of July 19, 1979
2 (P.L.130, No.48), known as the Health Care Facilities Act, or
3 anesthesiology groups.
4 * * *
5 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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