H 4953

Chapter 176O of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding after section 30 the following section: Section 31. A licensed athletic trainer, acting with a referral from a physician, who acts within the scope of practice authorized by law shall not be denied reimbursement by a carrier as defined under this chapter, for those covered services if the carrier would reimburse another health care provider for those services. This section pertains only to those health plans that provide coverage for a particular type of health service, or for any particular medical condition that is within the scope of practice of licensed athletic trainers. Services provided by licensed athletic trainers may be subject to reasonable deductibles, co-payment and co-insurance amounts, fee or benefit limits, practice parameters, and utilization review consistent with applicable rules adopted by the division of insurance; provided that the amounts, limits, and review shall not function to direct treatment in a manner unfairly discriminative against athletic trainer care, and collectively shall be no more restrictive than those applicable under the same policy for care or services provided by other health care providers. Nothing in this section shall be construed as impeding or preventing either the provision or coverage of health care services by licensed athletic trainers within the lawful scope of athletic trainer practice.