NOTE:  This bill has been prepared for the signature of the appropriate legislative
officers and the Governor.  To determine whether the Governor has signed the bill
or taken other action on it, please consult the legislative status sheet, the legislative
      history, or the Session Laws.
      
      
      HOUSE BILL 11-1186
      
      
      BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Ryden, Kerr A., McCann, Vigil, Duran, Fields,
      Fischer, Gardner D., Hullinghorst, Kefalas, Labuda, Pabon, Pace, Riesberg,
      Schafer S., Solano, Todd, Kagan, Wilson;
      also SENATOR(S) Guzman, Boyd, Foster, Hodge, Newell, Schwartz,
      Tochtrop, White.
      
      
      Concerning reimbursement by health insurance carriers for
           acupuncture services.
      
      
      Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
      
           SECTION 1.  10-16-104 (7) (a) (I) (A), Colorado Revised Statutes,
      is amended to read:
      
           10-16-104.  Mandatory coverage provisions - definitions.
      (7)  Reimbursement of providers.  (a)  Sickness and accident insurance. 
      (I) (A)  Notwithstanding any provisions of any policy of sickness and
      accident insurance issued by an entity subject to the provisions of part 2 of
      this article or a prepaid dental care plan subject to the provisions of part 5
      of this article, whenever any such policy or plan provides for reimbursement
      for any a service that may be lawfully performed by a person licensed in
      this state for the practice of osteopathy, medicine, dentistry, dental hygiene,
      optometry, psychology, chiropractic, or podiatry, or acupuncture, a
      carrier shall not deny reimbursement under such the policy or plan
      shall not be denied when such the service is rendered by a person so
      licensed.  Nothing in this part 1 or parts part 2 or 5 of this article shall
      preclude an insurance company precludes a carrier from setting
      different fee schedules in an insurance policy for different services
      performed by different professions, but the carrier shall use the same
      fee schedule shall be used for those portions of health services that are
      substantially identical although performed by different professions.
      
           SECTION 2.  Act subject to petition - effective date -
      applicability.  (1)  This act shall take effect January 1, 2012; except that,
      if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the
      state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act
      within the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general
      assembly, then the act, item, section, or part shall not take effect unless
      approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2012
      and shall take effect on January 1, 2013, or on the date of the official
      declaration of the vote thereon by the governor, whichever is later.
      
           (2)  The provisions of this act shall apply to policies of sickness and
      accident insurance and plans issued or renewed on or after the applicable
      effective date of this act.
      
      
      
      
      ________________________________________________________
      Frank McNulty                      Brandon C. Shaffer
      SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE                     PRESIDENT OF
      OF REPRESENTATIVES                         THE SENATE
      
      
      
      
      
      
      ____________________________  ____________________________
      Marilyn Eddins                      Cindi L. Markwell
      CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE                 SECRETARY OF
      OF REPRESENTATIVES                         THE SENATE
      
      
      
      
                  APPROVED________________________________________
      
      
      
      
      
                                    _________________________________________
                                    John W. Hickenlooper
                                    GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO