Other Legislation Authored by Dr. Lenkewicz

Spinal Manipulation Bill 98 -- S 2547 AS AMENDED, LC02743, JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 1998 AN ACT RELATING TO CHIROPRACTORS Introduced By:Senators Celona, Walaska, Ruggerio, Graziano and Sosnowski
Date Introduced : February 5, 1998
Referred To: Senate Committee on Health, Education and Welfare
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 5-30 of the General Laws entitled "Chiropractors" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
{ADD 5-30-9.1. Qualifications to perform spinal manipulations. -- ADD} {ADD (a) As used herein, the term "spinal manipulations" shall mean the adjustment, mobilization, or movement of the articulations of the spine into or beyond a paraphysiological range of motion for the purpose of restoring mobility, correcting the vertebral subluxation complex or spinal biochemical dysfunction, thereby restoring health and movement to, and/or position of the affected segment, and any component of the nervous system that may be involved. ADD}
{ADD (b) In addition to any other provisions of this chapter, only health care providers who can legally diagnose and treat the body are authorized, pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, to use spinal manipulative therapy, provided the following training requirements are demonstrated and are in accordance with the licensing board which regulates the health care provider: ADD}
{ADD (1) One hundred eighty (180) hours of spinal manipulation training to include lecture and supervised laboratory training: or ADD}
{ADD (2) Five Hundred (500) hours of spinal manipulation training in an outpatient setting. ADD}
{ADD (c) The training required pursuant to subsection (b)(1) herein shall be provided by an institution which is fully accredited in the area of chiropractic, medicine, or osteopathy, and recognized by the appropriate Rhode Island licensing board. ADD}
{ADD (d) This section shall not apply to individuals licensed under title 5, chapter 37 of the general laws. ADD}
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

EXPLANATION, BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO CHIROPRACTORS This act would provide certain requirements to be able to practice spinal manipulation This act would take effect upon passage.
 
Independent Medical Exams by Same service providers
TITLE 27,Insurance, CHAPTER 27-9.2 Independent Medical Examinations, SECTION, 27-9.2-4, § 27-9.2-4 "Physician" defined. – The term "physician" as used in this chapter shall mean medical doctor, surgeon, dentist, chiropractor, osteopath, podiatrist and optometrist, as the case may be. Amended- An insurer may not withdraw payment of a treating physician without the consent of the injured person covered by the personal injury protection, unless the insurer first obtains a report by a physician licensed under the same chapter as the treating physician whose treatment authorization is sought to be withdrawn, stating that treatment was not reasonable, related, or necessary.
Explanation: A patient complaining of injury being examined by an insurer should have the right to be examined by a provider of the same service in their own local ;licensed in the same state.
History: A patient’s care should not be terminated by a examiner unless the examiner has the same expertise evaluating medical necessity application of specialty technique being provided
Chiropractic treatment is being terminated after orthopedic examination.
 
 

AN ACT RELATING TO CHIROPRACTIC Chiropractic health care; denial of payment; limitation. A chiropractic physician licensed under chapter 5-30 shall not be denied payment for treatment rendered solely on the basis that the chiropractic physician is not a member of a particular preferred provider organization or exclusive provider organization which is composed only of physicians licensed under the same chapter.
Explanation: This legislation addresses denial of payment by HMO’s based solely upon degree or HMO membership. Chiropractic Parity
 
 
AN ACT RELATING TO WORKERS COMPENSATION
Workers Compensation (specialty) Preferred Provider Utilization Preferred Provider Networks (PPN’s) with yearly re-filing of preferred provider status lists mandated by the Workers Compensation Act shall maintain statistics of their provider specialty utilization within the network and shall provide those provider specialty utilization statistics to the Department of Health and the Department of Labor (Medical Advisory Board). This Dept of Labor information should be tracked by the Department of Business Regulation for business/market access issues in addition to DOH quality of health care issues.

Explanation: Chiropractic providers within a preferred provider network shall be utilized and their use statistically accounted for as intended rather than the current non-use perception This bill serves as a patient provider choice protection method, providing statistics on preferred provider usage in networks and limiting provider monopoly trade restriction. This bill would further educate the legislature to both business/market and quality of health care issues in discrimination prevention.
History-Providers are signing participation agreements in preferred provider networks satisfying the letter of the law for the Preferred provider networks. The provider lists may be short circuited. The same providers may see the majority of the employees without full network participation or employee notification.  

AN ACT RELATING TO PHYSICIANS
One Time Physician Credentialing legislation Standardized credentialing for health care practitioners.
Explanation- A mandatory credentials verification program be established which provides that, once a health care practitioner's core credentials data are collected, validated, maintained, and stored, they need not be collected again. Once "Core credentials data" are submitted, the physicians and MCO’s are relieved of tedious yearly paperwork.