Mississippi Code
Article 5 - Provisions Common to Hospital, Medical, or Surgical Insurance
§ 83-41-214. Payment by third parties of certified nurse practitioners

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 medical or surgical care and treatment provided by a duly certified nurse practitioner and performed within the scope of the license of the certified nurse practitioner if the policy or contract would pay for the care and treatment if the care and treatment were provided by a person engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery. The policy or contract shall provide that policyholders and subscribers under the policy or contract may reject the coverage for services which may be provided by a certified nurse practitioner if the coverage is rejected for all providers of similar services. 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 restriction already imposed by law. This section applies to services provided under a policy or contract delivered, issued for delivery, continued, or renewed in this on or after July 1, 1999, and to an existing policy or contract, on the policy's or contract's anniversary or renewal date, whichever is later. This section does not apply to policyholders or subscribers eligible for coverage under Title XVIII of the federal Social Security Act or any similar coverage under a state or federal government plan. For the purposes of this section, third-party payment or prepayment includes an individual or group health care service contract, an individual or group health maintenance organization contract, or a preferred provider organization contract. Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to require an individual or group health maintenance organization, or a preferred provider organization to provide payment or prepayment for services provided by a certified nurse practitioner unless the certified nurse practitioner or the certified nurse practitioner's collaborating physician has entered into a contract or other agreement to provide services with the individual or group health maintenance organization or the preferred provider organization or arrangement.

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