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PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor
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Ch. 402
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Annotated Code of Maryland
(1996 Replacement Volume and 1999 Supplement)
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
Article - Insurance
15-816.
(a) This section applies to:
(1) insurers and nonprofit health service plans that provide hospital,
medical, or surgical benefits to individuals or groups on an expense-incurred basis
under health insurance policies that are issued or delivered in the State; and
(2) health maintenance organizations that provide hospital, medical, or
surgical benefits to individuals or groups under contracts that are issued or delivered
in the State.
(b) An entity subject to this section:
(1) shall classify an obstetrician/gynecologist as a primary care provider;
or
(2) if the obstetrician/gynecologist chooses not to be a primary care
provider, shall allow a woman to receive routine gynecological care from an
in-network obstetrician/gynecologist without requiring the woman to visit a primary
care provider first, if:
(i) the care is medically necessary, including care that is routine;
(ii) after each visit for gynecological care, the
obstetrician/gynecologist communicates with the woman's primary care provider
about any diagnosis or treatment rendered; and
(iii) the obstetrician/gynecologist confers with the primary care
provider before performing any diagnostic procedure that is not routine gynecological
care rendered during an annual visit.
(c) If an entity subject to this section classifies an obstetrician/gynecologist as
a primary care provider as provided in subsection (b) of this section, and a woman
does not choose an obstetrician/gynecologist as the woman's primary care provider,
the entity shall allow the woman an annual visit to an in-network
obstetrician/gynecologist for routine gynecological care without requiring the woman
to visit the woman's primary care provider first, whether or not the primary care
provider is qualified to and regularly does provide routine gynecological care.
(D) (1) AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THIS SECTION MAY NOT LIMIT A WOMAN'S
DIRECT ACCESS TO PRIMARY AND PREVENTIVE OBSTETRIC AMD GYNECOLOGICAL
SERVICES FROM A CERTIFIED NURSE MIDWIFE OR ANY OTHER PROVIDER
AUTHORIZED UNDER THE HEALTH OCCUPATIONS ARTICLE TO PROVIDE OBSTETRIC
AND GYNECOLOGICAL SERVICES.
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- 2197 -
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