1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to health; MinnesotaCare; specifying the type 
  1.3             of health care professional that must be involved in 
  1.4             certain denials of access; amending Minnesota Statutes 
  1.5             1994, section 62Q.12. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 62Q.12, is 
  1.8   amended to read: 
  1.9      62Q.12 [DENIAL OF ACCESS.] 
  1.10     No health plan company may deny access to a covered health 
  1.11  care service unless the denial is made by, or under the 
  1.12  direction of, or subject to the review of a health care 
  1.13  professional licensed to provide the service in question.  If a 
  1.14  covered health care service is recommended by a physician, a 
  1.15  denial of access permitted by this section must be made by, or 
  1.16  under the direction of, or subject to review by a physician.  
  1.17  For purposes of this section, "physician" means a person 
  1.18  licensed to practice medicine under chapter 147, a person 
  1.19  licensed to practice osteopathy under Minnesota Statutes 1961, 
  1.20  sections 148.11 to 148.16, or a person licensed to practice 
  1.21  medicine or osteopathy under the laws of another state.  
  1.22     Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  1.23     Section 1 is effective July 1, 1995, and applies to any 
  1.24  request for access made on or after that date.