00 CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 122(L&C)                                                                                         
01 "An Act relating to unfair discrimination under a group health insurance policy                                         
02 for services provided by marital and family therapists; and providing for an                                            
03 effective date."                                                                                                        
04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
05    * Section 1.  AS 21.36.090(d) is amended to read:                                                                    
06  (d)  Except to the extent necessary to comply with AS 21.42.365 and AS 21.56,                                         
07 a person may not practice or permit unfair discrimination against a person who                                          
08 provides a service covered under a group health insurance policy that extends coverage                                  
09 on an expense incurred basis, or under a group service or indemnity type contract                                       
10 issued by a nonprofit corporation, if the service is within the scope of the provider's                                 
11 occupational license.  In this subsection,                                                                              
12   (1)  "provider" means a state licensed physician, dentist, osteopath,                                              
13 optometrist, chiropractor, nurse midwife, advanced nurse practitioner, naturopath,                                      
14 physical therapist, occupational therapist, marital and family therapist, psychologist,                               
01 psychological associate, or licensed clinical social worker, or certified direct-entry                                  
02 midwife;                                                                                                               
03   (2)  "unfair discrimination" does not include requirements imposed                                                   
04 by an insurer for purposes of utilization review, cost containment, or standards                                        
05 of clinically appropriate health care services.                                                                        
06    * Sec. 2.  Section 4, ch. 39, SLA 1993, is repealed and reenacted to read:                                           
07  (d)  Except to the extent necessary to comply with AS 21.42.365, a person may                                         
08 not practice or permit unfair discrimination against a person who provides a service                                    
09 covered under a group health policy that extends coverage on an expense incurred                                        
10 basis, or under a group service or indemnity type contract issued by a nonprofit                                        
11 corporation, if the service is within the scope of the provider's occupational license.                                 
12 In this subsection,                                                                                                     
13   (1)  "provider" means a state licensed physician, dentist, osteopath,                                                
14 optometrist, chiropractor, nurse midwife, advanced nurse practitioner, naturopath,                                      
15 physical therapist, occupational therapist, marital and family therapist, psychologist,                                 
16 psychological associate, or licensed clinical social worker, or certified direct-entry                                  
17 midwife;                                                                                                                
18   (2)  "unfair discrimination" does not include requirements imposed by                                                
19 an insurer for purposes of utilization review, cost containment, or standards of                                        
20 clinically appropriate health care services.                                                                            
21    * Sec. 3.  This Act applies to a policy of insurance issued or renewed on or after the                               
22 effective date of this Act.                                                                                             
23    * Sec. 4.  This Act takes effect July 1, 1997.