Brief Description: Requiring fair payment for chiropractic services.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Franklin, Benton, Kline, Poulsen, Keiser and Roach).

Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care
Senate Committee on Ways & Means
House Committee on Health Care & Wellness
House Committee on Appropriations

Background: Under current law, the rates paid by health care insurers for services rendered by chiropractors may differ from the rates paid to other kinds of health care providers.

Summary: A health carrier may not pay chiropractors less for a service identified under a particular physical medicine and rehabilitation code or evaluation and management code (as listed in a nationally recognized services and procedures code book such as the American medical association current procedure terminology code book) than it pays for any other type of licensed health professional using the same codes. Exceptions are described.

On or after January 1, 2010, the Insurance Commissioner (commissioner) must contract for an evaluation of the impact of this act on the utilization and cost of health care services associated with the physical medicine and rehabilitation payment or billing codes; and evaluation and management payment or billing codes; and on the total cost of episodes of care for treatment associated with the use of these payment or billing codes.

The commissioner must require carriers to provided necessary data to the contractor to complete this evaluation.

The commissioner must provide a report to the Legislature by January 1, 2012.

The act expires June 30, 2013.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      40   9
House      79   15   (House amended)
Senate            (Senate refused to concur)
House      81   16   (House amended)
Senate      46   3   (Senate concurred)

Effective: June 12, 2008

Partial Veto Summary: The provision requiring the Insurance Commissioner to contract for an evaluation of the impact of this act and provide a report to the Legislature is removed.