514C.32  Services provided by certain licensed master social workers, licensed mental health counselors, and licensed marital and family therapists.
  1.  Notwithstanding section 514C.6, a policy or contract providing for third-party payment or prepayment of health or medical expenses shall include a provision for the payment of necessary behavioral health services provided by any of the following:
  a.  A licensed master social worker who is licensed by the board of social work as a master social worker pursuant to section 154C.3, subsection 1, paragraph “b”, and who provides services under the supervision of an independent social worker licensed pursuant to section 154C.3, subsection 1, paragraph “c”.
  b.  A licensed mental health counselor or a licensed marital and family therapist who holds a temporary license to practice mental health counseling or marital and family therapy pursuant to section 154D.7, and who provides services under the supervision of a qualified supervisor as determined by the board of behavioral science by rule.
  2.  A policy or contract subject to this section shall not impose a practice or supervision restriction which is inconsistent with or more restrictive than the authority already granted by law, including the authority to provide supervision in person or remotely through electronic means as specified by rule of the applicable licensing board.
  3.  The requirements of this section apply to and supersede any conflicting requirements regarding services provided under a policy or contract, which is delivered, issued for delivery, continued, or renewed in this state on or after June 1, 2018, and apply to and supersede any conflicting requirements regarding services contained in an existing policy or contract on the policy’s or contract’s anniversary or renewal date, whichever is later.
  4.  For the purposes of this section, third-party payment or prepayment includes an individual or group policy of accident or health insurance or individual or group hospital or health care service contract issued pursuant to chapter 509, 514, or 514A, an individual or group health maintenance organization contract issued and regulated under chapter 514B, or a preferred provider organization contract regulated pursuant to chapter 514F.
  5.  Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to require an individual or group health maintenance organization or a preferred provider organization or arrangement to provide payment or prepayment for services provided by a licensed master social worker providing behavioral health services under the supervision of an independent social worker, or to a licensed mental health counselor or licensed marital and family therapist who holds a temporary license to practice mental health counseling or marital and family therapy providing behavioral health services under the supervision of a qualified supervisor, as specified in this section, unless the supervising independent social worker or the qualified supervisor, respectively, has entered into a contract or other agreement to provide behavioral health services with the individual or group health maintenance organization or the preferred provider organization or arrangement.
2018 Acts, ch 1165, §137, 139; 2019 Acts, ch 59, §235, 240
Section not amended; section history updated