House Bills 5958 and 5959
Sponsor: Rep. Gerald Law
Committee: Health Policy
Complete to 9-27-00
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILLS 5958 and 5959 AS INTRODUCED 9-26-00
Public Acts 228 and 230 of 1999 amended acts pertaining to health insurance to provide for continuation of health care services under certain circumstances for a member, enrollee, or insured of a health plan if the participation in the health plan by the person's primary care physician is terminated. Generally, such continuation of care is provided for an additional 90 days, and "physician" includes only allopathic (M.D.) and osteopathic (D.O.) physicians. The bills would also amend acts regulating health insurance to include a podiatric physician in the definition of "physician", thus allowing continuation of medical care provided by a podiatrist for 90 days after a podiatrist left the panel of a health plan. House Bill 5958 would amend the Nonprofit Health Care Corporation Reform Act (MCL 550.1402c), which regulates Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. House Bill 5959 would amend the Insurance Code (MCL 500.2212b), which regulates expense-incurred hospital, medical, or surgical policies and certificates of commercial health insurance companies as well as group and individual contracts of health maintenance organizations (HMOs).
Analyst: S. Stutzky