(1) As used in this section, ‘women’s health care provider’ means an obstetrician or gynecologist, physician assistant specializing in women’s health, advanced registered nurse practitioner specialist in women’s health, naturopathic physician specializing in women’s health or certified nurse midwife, practicing within the applicable lawful scope of practice.

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(2) Every health insurance policy that covers hospital, medical or surgical expenses and requires an enrollee to designate a participating primary care provider shall permit a female enrollee to designate a women’s health care provider as the enrollee’s primary care provider if:

(a) The women’s health care provider meets the standards established by the insurer in collaboration with interested parties, including but not limited to the Oregon section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; and

(b) The women’s health care provider requests that the insurer make the provider available for designation as a primary care provider.

(3) If a female enrollee has designated a primary care provider who is not a women’s health care provider, an insurance policy as described in subsection (2) of this section shall permit the enrollee to have direct access to a women’s health care provider, without a referral or prior authorization, for obstetrical or gynecological care by a participating health care professional who specializes in obstetrics or gynecology.

(4) The standards established by the insurer under subsection (2) of this section shall not prohibit an insurer from establishing the maximum number of participating primary care providers and participating women’s health care providers necessary to serve a defined population or geographic service area. [Formerly 743.845; 2017 c.356 § 96]