S0141

	2019 -- S 0141
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	LC000424
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	STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019
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	A N A C T
	RELATING TO INSURANCE -- COMMUNICATION ACCESS SERVICES

	Introduced By: Senators Archambault, Crowley, Sosnowski, Miller, and Cano
	Date Introduced: January 24, 2019
	Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services
	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
1	SECTION 1. Chapter 27-18 of the General Laws entitled "Accident and Sickness
2	Insurance Policies" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
3	27-18-85. Communication access services.
4	(a) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group
5	hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery,
6	or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2020, shall provide coverage for effective
7	communication access services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing insured patients or identified
8	clients.
9	(b) For the purposes of this section:
10	(1) "Communication access services" means any effective communication access
11	services recognized by either the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities
12	Act to guarantee full communication access between the patients or identified clients who are
13	deaf and hard of hearing and doctors or other health care professionals to ensure that each party is
14	understood regarding their health needs and treatments. Effective communication access services
15	shall include, but are not limited to:
16	(i) Interpreters for the deaf;
17	(ii) Communication access real-time translation (CART) service;
18	(iii) Remote video interpreting service for the deaf; and
19	(iv) Remote CART service.

1	(c) This section shall not apply to equipment purchased as part of communication access
2	accommodations, to include, but not limited to:
3	(1) TTYs, videophones, assistive listening devices.
4	SECTION 2. Chapter 27-19 of the General Laws entitled "Nonprofit Hospital Service
5	Corporations" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
6	27-19-77. Communication access services.
7	(a) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group
8	hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery,
9	or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2020, shall provide coverage for effective
10	communication access services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing insured patients or identified
11	clients.
12	(b) For the purposes of this section:
13	(1) "Communication access services" means any effective communication access
14	services recognized by either the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities
15	Act to guarantee full communication access between the patients or identified clients who are
16	deaf and hard of hearing and doctors or other health care professionals to ensure that each party is
17	understood regarding their health needs and treatments. Effective communication access services
18	shall include, but are not limited to:
19	(i) Interpreters for the deaf;
20	(ii) Communication access real-time translation (CART) service;
21	(iii) Remote video interpreting service for the deaf; and
22	(iv) Remote CART service.
23	(c) This section shall not apply to equipment purchased as part of communication access
24	accommodations, to include, but not limited to:
25	(1) TTYs, videophones, assistive listening devices.
26	SECTION 3. Chapter 27-20 of the General Laws entitled "Nonprofit Medical Service
27	Corporations" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
28	27-20-73. Communication access services.
29	(a) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group
30	hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery,
31	or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2020, shall provide coverage for effective
32	communication access services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing insured patients or identified
33	clients.
34	(b) For the purposes of this section:
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1	(1) "Communication access services" means any effective communication access
2	services recognized by either the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities
3	Act to guarantee full communication access between the patients or identified clients who are
4	deaf and hard of hearing and doctors or other health care professionals to ensure that each party is
5	understood regarding their health needs and treatments. Effective communication access services
6	shall include, but are not limited to:
7	(i) Interpreters for the deaf;
8	(ii) Communication access real-time translation (CART) service;
9	(iii) Remote video interpreting service for the deaf; and
10	(iv) Remote CART service.
11	(c) This section shall not apply to equipment purchased as part of communication access
12	accommodations, to include, but not limited to:
13	(1) TTYs, videophones, assistive listening devices.
14	SECTION 4. Chapter 27-38.2 of the General Laws entitled "Insurance Coverage for
15	Mental Illness and Substance Abuse" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
16	27-38.2-6. Communication access services.
17	(a) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group
18	hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery,
19	or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2020, shall provide coverage for effective
20	communication access services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing insured patients or identified
21	clients.
22	(b) For the purposes of this section:
23	(1) "Communication access services" means any effective communication access
24	services recognized by either the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities
25	Act to guarantee full communication access between the patients or identified clients who are
26	deaf and hard of hearing and doctors or other health care professionals to ensure that each party is
27	understood regarding their health needs and treatments. Effective communication access services
28	shall include, but are not limited to:
29	(i) Interpreters for the deaf;
30	(ii) Communication access real-time translation (CART) service;
31	(iii) Remote video interpreting service for the deaf; and
32	(iv) Remote CART service.
33	(c) This section shall not apply to equipment purchased as part of communication access
34	accommodations, to include, but not limited to:
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1	(1) TTYs, videophones, assistive listening devices.
2	SECTION 5. Chapter 27-41 of the General Laws entitled "Health Maintenance
3	Organizations" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
4	27-41-90. Communication access services.
5	(a) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group
6	hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery,
7	or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2020, shall provide coverage for effective
8	communication access services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing insured patients or identified
9	clients.
10	(b) For the purposes of this section:
11	(1) "Communication access services" means any effective communication access
12	services recognized by either the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities
13	Act to guarantee full communication access between the patients or identified clients who are
14	deaf and hard of hearing and doctors or other health care professionals to ensure that each party is
15	understood regarding their health needs and treatments. Effective communication access services
16	shall include, but are not limited to:
17	(i) Interpreters for the deaf;
18	(ii) Communication access real-time translation (CART) service;
19	(iii) Remote video interpreting service for the deaf; and
20	(iv) Remote CART service.
21	(c) This section shall not apply to equipment purchased as part of communication access
22	accommodations, to include, but not limited to:
23	(1) TTYs, videophones, assistive listening devices.
24	SECTION 6. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2020.
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	EXPLANATION
	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
	OF
	A N A C T
	RELATING TO INSURANCE -- COMMUNICATION ACCESS SERVICES
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1	This act would require health insurance plans to include coverage for effective
2	communication access services between patients who are deaf and their health care professionals
3	in order to ensure that their health needs and treatments are clearly communicated and
4	understood.
5	This act would take effect on January 1, 2020.
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