PRINTER'S NO. 839
No. 748 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY BEBKO-JONES, CALTAGIRONE, CAWLEY, DeWEESE,
JOSEPHS, LEDERER, GRUCELA, GEORGE, READSHAW, THOMAS,
YOUNGBLOOD, TANGRETTI, JAMES, PETRARCA, RUBLEY, GOOD,
PISTELLA AND HARPER, MARCH 1, 2005
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INSURANCE, MARCH 1, 2005
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), entitled "An
2 act relating to insurance; amending, revising, and
3 consolidating the law providing for the incorporation of
4 insurance companies, and the regulation, supervision, and
5 protection of home and foreign insurance companies, Lloyds
6 associations, reciprocal and inter-insurance exchanges, and
7 fire insurance rating bureaus, and the regulation and
8 supervision of insurance carried by such companies,
9 associations, and exchanges, including insurance carried by
10 the State Workmen's Insurance Fund; providing penalties; and
11 repealing existing laws," providing for third-party
12 reimbursement for services of registered nurse first
13 assistants.
14 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
15 hereby enacts as follows:
16 Section 1. The act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), known
17 as The Insurance Company Law of 1921, is amended by adding a
18 section to read:
19 Section 635.2. Third-party Reimbursement for Services of
20 Registered Nurse First Assistants.--(a) Every hospital, health
21 or medical expense insurance policy, hospital or medical service
22 contract, employe welfare benefit plan, health maintenance
1 organization subscriber agreement, health and accident insurance
2 policy or other insurance contract of this type, including a
3 group insurance plan or self-insurance plan that provides
4 medical and surgical benefits which are delivered, issued for
5 delivery or renewed in this Commonwealth on or after January 1,
6 2004, shall provide coverage of perioperative services rendered
7 by a registered nurse first assistant. Payments for registered
8 nurse first assistants for such services shall be subject to the
9 same credentialing and contracting requirements that apply to
10 other heath care providers paid for such services.
11 (b) As used in this section:
12 (1) "Perioperative services" means preoperative,
13 intraopertive and postoperative nursing care provided to
14 surgical patients.
15 (2) "Registered nurse first assistant" means a person who:
16 (i) is licensed as a registered nurse in accordance with the
17 laws of this Commonwealth;
18 (ii) is experienced in perioperative services; and
19 (iii) has completed a national certification program of
20 perioperative services.
21 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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