WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor

2. Certified by the Council on
Certification or the Council on Recertification of Nurse
Anesthetists.

(iv) "Nurse midwife" means a registered nurse
who is licensed in this State and has been certified by the
American College of Nurse-Midwives as a nurse midwife.

(v) "Optometrist" has the meaning stated in §
10-101 of the Health Occupations Article.

(2)  The Secretary may contract for the provision of
care under the Program to eligible Program recipients.

(3)  The Secretary may contract with insurance
companies or nonprofit health service plans or with individuals,
associations, partnerships, incorporated or unincorporated groups
of physicians, chiropractors, dentists, podiatrists,
optometrists, pharmacists, hospitals, nursing homes, nurses,
including nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and certified nurse
practitioners, opticians, and other health practitioners who are
licensed or certified in this State and perform services on the
prescription or referral of a physician.

(4)  For the purposes of this section, the nurse
midwife need not be under the supervision of a physician.

(5) [A] UNLESS SPECIFICALLY TERMINATED BY THE

PROGRAM OR BY THE PROVIDER EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED BY LAW, A
contract that the Secretary makes under this subsection shall
INITIALLY be for a 1-year period and may be renewed FOR AN
INDEFINITE PERIOD CONTINUE UNLESS TERMINATED UNDER THE TERMS OF
THE CONTRACT BY THE PROGRAM OR BY THE PROVIDER.

15-103.1.

THE PROGRAM SHALL USE ITS LEVERAGE AS A HIGH VOLUME
PURCHASER TO PROMOTE THE COST EFFECTIVENESS OF MARYLAND'S HEALTH
CARE SYSTEM.

15-106.1.

(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REGULARLY REVIEW THE PROGRAM'S
REGULATIONS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS
OF THOSE REGULATIONS ARE UNNECESSARILY BURDENSOME ON PROGRAM
RECIPIENTS OR PROVIDERS.

(B) IF, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SUBSECTION (A)

OF THIS SECTION, THE DEPARTMENT DETERMINES THAT THE

ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROGRAM'S REGULATIONS ARE

UNNECESSARILY BURDENSOME, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL AMEND THE

PROGRAM'S REGULATIONS APPROPRIATELY.

- 4943 -