A N A C T
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICES
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 23-13-14 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-13 entitled "Maternal and Child Health Services for Children with Special Health Care Needs" is hereby amended to read as follows:
23-13-14. Newborn metabolic disease control program. Newborn screening program. -- (a) The physician attending a newborn child shall cause that child to be subject to metabolic disease newborn screening tests for metabolic, endocrine and hemoglobinopathy disorders. The department of health shall make such rules and regulations pertaining to such screening, diagnostic, and treatment services as accepted medical practice shall indicate. The provisions of this section shall not apply if the parents of the child object thereto on the grounds that those tests conflict with their religious tenets and practices.
(b) In addition, the department of health is hereby authorized to establish by rule and regulation a reasonable fee structure for the metabolic newborn screening and disease control program; which includes but is not limited to screening, diagnostic, and treatment services. The program shall be a covered benefit and be reimbursable by all health insurers, as defined in section 27-38-6, providing health insurance coverage in Rhode Island except for supplemental policies which only provide coverage for specific diseases, hospital indemnity medicare supplements, or other supplemental policies. The department of human services shall pay for the program where the patient is eligible for medical assistance under the provisions of chapter 8 of title 40. The charges for the program shall be borne by the hospitals or other health-care facilities where births occur in the absence of a third-party payor. Nothing herein shall preclude the hospital or health care facility from billing the patient directly. Those fees shall be deposited into the general fund as general revenues.
SECTION 2. Section 23-13-15 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-13 entitled "Maternal and Child Health Services for Children with Special Health Care Needs" is hereby repealed.
23-13-15. Newborn sickle cell disease control program -- (a) The physician attending a newborn child shall cause the child to be subject to sickle cell disease tests. The department of health shall make such rules and regulations pertaining to such screening, diagnostic, and treatment services as accepted medical practice shall indicate. The provisions of this section shall not apply if the parents of the child object thereto on the grounds that the tests conflict with their religious tenets and practices.
(b) In addition, the department of health is hereby authorized to establish by rule and regulation a reasonable fee structure for the sickle cell disease control program; which includes but is not limited to screening, diagnostic, and treatment services. The program shall be a covered benefit and be reimbursable by all health insurers, as defined in section 27-38-6, providing health insurance coverage in Rhode Island except for supplemental policies which only provide coverage for specific diseases, hospital indemnity medicare supplement, or other supplemental policies. The department of human services shall pay for the program where the patient is eligible for medical assistance under the provisions of chapter 8 of title 40. The charges for the program shall be borne by the hospitals or other health-care facilities where births occur in the absence of a third-party payor. Nothing herein shall preclude the hospital or health care facility from billing the patient directly. Those fees shall be deposited into the general fund as general revenues.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.