1998 Legislation
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SENATE BILL NO. 1472 – Registered nurse 1st assistant, ins

SENATE BILL NO. 1472

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Daily Data Tracking History



S1472.................................................by HEALTH AND WELFARE
REGISTERED NURSE FIRST ASSISTANT - Adds to existing law to require that
insurance policies which provide coverage for surgery assistants include
registered nurse first assistants in that coverage.

02/16    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/17    Rpt prt - to Com/HuRes

Bill Text


S1472


                                                                        
 ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
Fifty-fourth Legislature                 Second Regular Session - 1998
                                                                        

                                      IN THE SENATE

                                   SENATE BILL NO. 1472

                             BY HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE

 1                                        AN ACT
 2    RELATING TO INSURANCE COVERAGE OF CERTAIN PRACTICE OF NURSING; AMENDING  CHAP-
 3        TER  21,  TITLE  41, IDAHO CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 41-2147,
 4        IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE THAT ALL DISABILITY INSURANCE CONTRACTS WHICH  PRO-
 5        VIDE  CERTAIN  SURGICAL COVERAGE PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR SERVICES OF A REGIS-
 6        TERED NURSE FIRST ASSISTANT; AMENDING CHAPTER 22, TITLE 41, IDAHO CODE, BY
 7        THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 41-2222, IDAHO CODE,  TO  PROVIDE  THAT  ALL
 8        GROUP  DISABILITY INSURANCE POLICIES WHICH PROVIDE CERTAIN SURGICAL COVER-
 9        AGE PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR SERVICES OF A REGISTERED NURSE  FIRST  ASSISTANT;
10        AMENDING  CHAPTER  28, TITLE 41, IDAHO CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SEC-
11        TION 41-2873, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE THAT  ANY  STOCK  OR  MUTUAL  INSURER
12        OFFERING BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN SURGICAL COVERAGE INCLUDES BENEFITS FOR SER-
13        VICES  OF  A  REGISTERED NURSE FIRST ASSISTANT; AMENDING CHAPTER 34, TITLE
14        41, IDAHO CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 41-3443, IDAHO  CODE,  TO
15        PROVIDE  THAT ALL SERVICE CORPORATION SUBSCRIBER'S CONTRACTS WHICH PROVIDE
16        CERTAIN SURGICAL COVERAGE PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR SERVICES  OF  A  REGISTERED
17        NURSE  FIRST  ASSISTANT; AMENDING CHAPTER 39, TITLE 41, IDAHO CODE, BY THE
18        ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 41-3939, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE THAT ALL  HEALTH
19        MAINTENANCE  ORGANIZATION POLICIES, CONTRACTS, PLANS OR CERTIFICATES WHICH
20        PROVIDE CERTAIN SURGICAL COVERAGE PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR SERVICES OF A  REG-
21        ISTERED NURSE FIRST ASSISTANT.

22    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

23        SECTION  1.  That  Chapter  21,  Title 41, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
24    hereby amended by the addition thereto of a  NEW SECTION  ,  to  be
25    known and designated as Section 41-2147, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:

26        41-2147.  REQUIRED PROVISION -- REGISTERED NURSE FIRST ASSISTANT. From and
27    after  July 1, 1998, all disability contracts which provide payment for surgi-
28    cal first assisting benefits or services, shall be construed as including pro-
29    vision for payment to a registered nurse first  assistant  who  performs  such
30    services  that  are  within  the  scope  of  a registered nurse's professional
31    license.

32        SECTION 2.  That Chapter 22, Title 41, Idaho Code, be,  and  the  same  is
33    hereby  amended  by  the addition thereto of a  NEW SECTION , to be
34    known and designated as Section 41-2222, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:

35        41-2222.  REQUIRED PROVISION -- REGISTERED NURSE FIRST ASSISTANT. From and
36    after July 1, 1998, all group or blanket disability insurance  policies  which
37    provide  payment  for  surgical first assisting benefits or services, shall be
38    construed as including provision for  payment  to  a  registered  nurse  first
39    assistant who performs such services that are within the scope of a registered
40    nurse's professional license.


                                          2

 1        SECTION  3.  That  Chapter  28,  Title 41, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
 2    hereby amended by the addition thereto of a  NEW SECTION  ,  to  be
 3    known and designated as Section 41-2873, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:

 4        41-2873.  REQUIRED PROVISION -- REGISTERED NURSE FIRST ASSISTANT. From and
 5    after July 1, 1998, any stock or mutual insurer issuing benefits which provide
 6    payment for surgical first assisting services, shall be construed as including
 7    provision  for payment to a registered nurse first assistant who performs such
 8    services that are within  the  scope  of  a  registered  nurse's  professional
 9    license.

10        SECTION  4.  That  Chapter  34,  Title 41, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
11    hereby amended by the addition thereto of a  NEW SECTION  ,  to  be
12    known and designated as Section 41-3443, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:

13        41-3443.  REQUIRED PROVISION -- REGISTERED NURSE FIRST ASSISTANT. From and
14    after July 1, 1998, all group subscriber's contracts which provide payment for
15    surgical first assisting benefits or services, shall be construed as including
16    provision  for payment to a registered nurse first assistant who performs such
17    services that are within  the  scope  of  a  registered  nurse's  professional
18    license.

19        SECTION  5.  That  Chapter  39,  Title 41, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
20    hereby amended by the addition thereto of a  NEW SECTION  ,  to  be
21    known and designated as Section 41-3939, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:

22        41-3939.  REQUIRED PROVISION -- REGISTERED NURSE FIRST ASSISTANT. From and
23    after  July  1, 1998, all health maintenance organization policies, contracts,
24    plans or certificates which provide payment for surgical first assisting bene-
25    fits or services, shall be construed as including provision for payment  to  a
26    registered  nurse  first  assistant who performs such services that are within
27    the scope of a registered nurse's professional license.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


    





                           STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
    
                                 RS07917
    
    In some cases, a surgeon will choose to use a Registered 
    Nurse Certified First Assistant in the operating room to 
    assist in a medical procedure.
    
    This legislation is designed to allow the use of Registered 
    Nurse First Assistants (RNFA) - who meet the qualifications 
    set forth in the Administrative Rules of the Idaho State 
    Board of Nursing - by surgeons and hospitals to provide 
    quality, cost effective surgical assistant intervention to 
    health care recipients in our state.
    
    Reimbursement of RN First Assistants is one of the top 
    legislative issues currently affecting pert-operative 
    nursing.
    
    This will be accomplished in part by providing for 
    reimbursement for the RNFA from various insurance companies. 
    This can be done by attachment to the physicians bill with 
    the current modifier used by Non-Physicians First Assistants 
    and also allowing the option of independently billing the 
    insurance company if necessary.
    
                               FISCAL NOTE
    
    No fiscal impact
    
                                       CONTACT: Senator John Andreason    332-1000
                                       Marianne Waltz 367-2850
    
    STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/ FISCAL NOTE
    
    S 1472