GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2017

S                                                                                                                                                    D

SENATE BILL DRS35203-MGqq-46A   (02/08)

Short Title:      Chiropractor Parity & Preceptorships.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Senator Hise (Primary Sponsor).
Referred to:

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT reenacting a law concerning health benefit plan co‑payments for chiropractic services, allowing chiropractic students at accredited chiropractic colleges to participate in preceptorship programs, and allowing chiropractors to perform medical examinations for public school students participating in interscholastic athletic competitions.

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.  Article 8 of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

"§ 90‑142.1.  Supervised training programs authorized.

(a) As used in this section, "preceptorship program" means a clinical program of an approved chiropractic college in which a student of chiropractic, under the supervision of a licensed chiropractor, observes the licensed chiropractor and may perform the duties of a certified chiropractic clinical assistant as specified in G.S. 90‑143.4.

(b) Each student enrolled in a chiropractic college that meets the accreditation requirements of G.S. 90‑143 may participate in a preceptorship program."

SECTION 3.  G.S. 90‑143.4(b) reads as rewritten:

"(b)      Any person employed as a chiropractic clinical assistant shall obtain a certificate of competency from the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners (Board) within 180 days after the person begins employment. Certification shall not be required for employees whose duties are limited to administrative activities of a nonclinical nature. Except as otherwise provided in G.S. 90‑142.1 and this section, it shall be unlawful for any person to practice as a chiropractic clinical assistant unless duly certified by the Board."

SECTION 4.  G.S. 115C‑47(4) reads as rewritten:

"(4)      To Regulate Extracurricular Activities. – Local boards of education shall make all rules and regulations necessary for the conducting of extracurricular activities in the schools under their supervision, including a program of athletics, where desired, without assuming liability therefor; provided, that all interscholastic athletic activities shall be conducted in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the State Board of Education. The rules shall require each student who participates in interscholastic athletic competitions to receive a medical examination at least once each calendar year. The required examination may be conducted by a physician, chiropractor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant licensed to practice in this State."

SECTION 5.  Section 1 of this act becomes effective January 1, 2018, and applies to health benefit contracts issued, renewed, or amended on or after that date. The remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law.