Sec. 1. 24-A MRSA §4303, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 396, §5 and affected by §7, is amended to read:

5. Identification of services provided by certified nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives. All claims for coverage of services provided by certified nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives must identify the certified nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives who provided those services. A carrier offering a health plan in this State shall assign identification numbers or codes to certified nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives who provide covered services for enrollees covered under that plan. A claim submitted for payment to a carrier by a health care provider or facility must include the identification number or code of the certified nurse practitioner or certified nurse midwife who provided the service and may not be submitted using the identification number or code of a physician or other health care provider who did not provide the covered service.

SUMMARY

This bill clarifies that the law directing health insurance carriers to issue provider identification numbers to certified nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives does not mandate specific methods of submitting a claim or prohibit any methods of submitting a claim that may be negotiated among carriers and providers.