§ 27-19-79. Perinatal doulas.
(a) As used in this section, “doula” or “perinatal doula” means a trained professional providing continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a pregnant individual, from antepartum, intrapartum, and up to the first twelve (12) months of the postpartum period. Doulas also provide assistance by referring childbearing individuals to community-based organizations and certified and licensed perinatal professionals in multiple disciplines.
(b) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state on or after July 1, 2022, shall provide coverage for the services of perinatal doulas in accordance with each health insurer’s respective principles and mechanisms of reimbursement, credentialing, and contracting, if the services are within the perinatal doulas’ area of professional competence as defined by the doula certification standard developed and maintained by the Rhode Island certification board in collaboration with the department of health, and are currently reimbursed when rendered by any other healthcare provider. No insurer or hospital or medical service corporation may require supervision, signature, or referral by any other healthcare provider as a condition of reimbursement, except when those requirements are also applicable to other categories of healthcare providers. No insurer or hospital or medical service corporation or patient may be required to pay for duplicate services actually rendered by both a perinatal doula and any other healthcare provider.
(c) Every individual or group health insurance contract, or every individual or group hospital or medical expense insurance policy, plan, or group policy delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state that is required to cover perinatal doula services, as defined in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, shall report utilization and cost information related to perinatal doula services to the office of the health insurance commissioner on or before July 1, 2023, and each July 1 thereafter. The office of the health insurance commissioner shall define the utilization and cost information required to be reported.
(d) This section shall not apply to insurance coverage providing benefits for:
(1) Hospital confinement indemnity;
(2) Disability income;
(3) Accident only;
(4) Long-term care;
(5) Medicare supplement;
(6) Limited benefit health;
(7) Specified disease indemnity;
(8) Sickness or bodily injury or death by accident or both; and
(9) Other limited benefit policies.
History of Section.
P.L. 2021, ch. 209, § 3, effective July 1, 2022; P.L. 2021, ch. 321, § 3, effective
July 1, 2022.