1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to health; clarifying the equal access 
  1.3             requirements on health plan companies; amending 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 62Q.23. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 62Q.23, is 
  1.7   amended to read: 
  1.8      62Q.23 [GENERAL SERVICES.] 
  1.9      (a) Health plan companies shall comply with all 
  1.10  continuation and conversion of coverage requirements applicable 
  1.11  to health maintenance organizations under state or federal law. 
  1.12     (b) Health plan companies shall comply with sections 
  1.13  62A.047, 62A.27, and any other coverage required under chapter 
  1.14  62A of newborn infants, dependent children who do not reside 
  1.15  with a covered person, handicapped children and dependents, and 
  1.16  adopted children.  A health plan company providing dependent 
  1.17  coverage shall comply with section 62A.302. 
  1.18     (c) Health plan companies shall comply with the equal 
  1.19  access requirements of section 62A.15.  For purposes of this 
  1.20  section, equal access includes direct access.  Direct access 
  1.21  means that a health plan enrollee does not need a referral from 
  1.22  any other type of provider before seeking services from a 
  1.23  licensed doctor of chiropractic or licensed doctor of optometry, 
  1.24  or licensed advanced practice nurse as defined in section 
  1.25  62A.15, subdivision 3a.  A health plan enrollee shall have 
  2.1   unrestricted choice of any doctor of chiropractic, doctor of 
  2.2   optometry, or advanced practice nurse who are in the health plan 
  2.3   network, not a limited subset of these providers that may be 
  2.4   affiliated with or under contract with a particular clinic. 
  2.5      No health plan may impose additional referral requirements, 
  2.6   prior approvals, or copayments for the services of a licensed 
  2.7   doctor of chiropractic, doctor of optometry, or advanced 
  2.8   practice nurse, unless these restrictions are applied uniformly 
  2.9   to all types of health care providers that provide the same 
  2.10  services.