GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2015

S                                                                                                                                                     1

SENATE BILL 319

Short Title:        Chiropractor Co‑Pay Parity.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Senators Hise (Primary Sponsor);  Ford, Sanderson, Smith‑Ingram, and Waddell.
Referred to:	Rules and Operations of the Senate.

March 18, 2015

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT TO REENACT A LAW CONCERNING HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN CO‑PAYMENTS FOR CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 58‑50‑30(a3) reads as rewritten:

"(a3)     Whenever any health benefit plan, subscriber contract, or policy of insurance issued by a health maintenance organization, hospital or medical service corporation, or insurer governed by Articles 1 through 67 of this Chapter provides coverage for medically necessary treatment, the insurer shall not impose any limitation on treatment or levels of coverage if performed by a duly licensed chiropractor acting within the scope of the chiropractor's practice as defined in G.S. 90‑151 unless a comparable limitation is imposed on the medically necessary treatment if performed or authorized by any other duly licensed physician. An insurer shall not impose as a limitation on treatment or level of coverage a co‑payment amount charged to the insured for chiropractic services that is higher than the co‑payment amount charged to the insured for the services of a duly licensed primary care physician for a comparable medically necessary treatment or condition."

SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective January 1, 2016, and applies to health benefit contracts issued, renewed, or amended on or after that date.