WASHINGTON, Jul 02 (Reuters Health) — Washington state would be the first state in the US to require managed care plans and insurance companies to allow their customers nearly unfettered access to practitioners of “alternative medicine”, under draft rules expected to be adopted by July 15.
Highlights of the rules include:
— No health plan provider networks may exclude any category of healthcare professional licensed to provide care for a condition covered by the state’s Basic Health Plan.
— Carriers cannot refuse to let subscribers select between providers where the condition is appropriate to both and where both are licensed.
— Coverage cannot be used to discriminate against particular categories of healthcare professionals.
— Decisions not to cover certain treatments must be supported by evidence usually considered by the plan to decide whether treatments are effective.
“There is no bigger issue in healthcare than choice of provider.” – Deborah Senn
planetc1.com-news @ 17:37 | Article ID: 930955050
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