(a)  Every individual or group hospital or medical services plan contract delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state shall provide coverage for a forty-eight-hour (48) time period in a hospital after a vaginal birth and ninety-six (96) hours after a cesarean section for a mother and her newly born child. Any decision to shorten these minimum coverages shall be made by the attending healthcare provider in consultation with the mother. The decision shall be made in accordance with the standards for guidelines for perinatal care published by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The standards shall be relative to early discharge, defined as less than forty-eight (48) hours for a vaginal delivery and ninety-six (96) hours for a cesarean delivery. In the case of early discharge, post-delivery care shall include home visits, parent education, assistance and training in breast or bottle feeding, and the performance of any necessary and appropriate clinical tests or any other tests or services consistent with the guidelines provided in this subsection.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 27-20-17.1

  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Medical services: means those professional services rendered by persons duly licensed under the laws of this state to practice medicine, surgery, chiropractic, podiatry, and other professional services rendered by a licensed midwife, certified registered nurse practitioners, and psychiatric and mental health nurse clinical specialists, and appliances, drugs, medicines, supplies, and nursing care necessary in connection with the services, or the expense indemnity for the services, appliances, drugs, medicines, supplies, and care, as may be specified in any nonprofit medical service plan. See Rhode Island General Laws 27-20-1
  • provider: means a healthcare professional or a healthcare facility. See Rhode Island General Laws 27-20-1

(b)  For the purposes of this section, “attending healthcare provider” includes the attending obstetrician, pediatrician, family practitioner, general practitioner, or certified nurse midwife attending the mother and newly born child.

(c)  Any subscriber who is aggrieved by a denial of benefits to be provided under this section may appeal the denial in accordance with regulations of the department of health, which have been promulgated pursuant to chapter 17.12 of Title 23 [repealed]. No policy or plan covered under this chapter shall terminate the services, reduce capitation payment, or penalize an attending physician or other healthcare provider who orders care consistent with the provisions of this section.

History of Section.
P.L. 1996, ch. 246, § 4; P.L. 1996, ch. 260, § 4; P.L. 2002, ch. 292, § 39.