Senate Bill 1458

    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1458

    By Senator Jones





    40-794-99                                               See HB

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to massage therapy; amending s.

  3         641.19, F.S.; revising a definition; amending

  4         s. 641.31, F.S.; requiring certain health

  5         maintenance contracts to cover persons licensed

  6         to practice massage under certain

  7         circumstances; providing an effective date.

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  9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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11         Section 1.  Subsection (4) of section 641.19, Florida

12  Statutes, is amended to read:

13         641.19  Definitions.--As used in this part, the term:

14         (4)  "Comprehensive health care services" means

15  services, medical equipment, and supplies furnished by a

16  provider, which may include, but which are not limited to,

17  medical, surgical, and dental care; psychological, optometric,

18  optic, chiropractic, podiatric, nursing, physical therapy,

19  massage therapy, and pharmaceutical services; health

20  education, preventive medical, rehabilitative, and home health

21  services; inpatient and outpatient hospital services; extended

22  care; nursing home care; convalescent institutional care;

23  technical and professional clinical pathology laboratory

24  services; laboratory and ambulance services; appliances,

25  drugs, medicines, and supplies; and any other care, service,

26  or treatment of disease, or correction of defects for human

27  beings.

28         Section 2.  Subsection (36) is added to section 641.31,

29  Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, to read:

30         641.31  Health maintenance contracts.--

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1458
    40-794-99                                               See HB




  1         (36)  All health maintenance contracts that provide

  2  coverage for massage shall also cover the services of persons

  3  licensed to practice massage pursuant to chapter 480 if the

  4  massage is prescribed by a physician licensed under chapter

  5  458, chapter 459, chapter 460, or chapter 461 as medically

  6  necessary and the prescription specifies the number of

  7  treatments.

  8         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  9  law.

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12                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Requires health maintenance contracts that provide
14    coverage for massage to also cover the services of
      persons licensed to practice massage if the massage is
15    prescribed by a licensed physician as medically necessary
      and the prescription specifies the number of treatments.
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