NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1967 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 690

SENATE BILL 239

 

 

AN ACT TO PRESCRIBE CERTAIN RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS RELATIVE TO OBTAINING FOOT CARE FROM PRACTITIONERS OF PODIATRY LICENSED BY THE STATE.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

 

Section 1.  Chapter 57, Section 1 of the General Statutes of North Carolina is amended by adding the following sentence to the third paragraph of G.S. 57-1:

"The term 'medical services plan' also includes the contracting for the payment of fees toward, or furnishing of, professional medical services authorized or permitted to be furnished by a duly licensed provider of health services licensed under Chapter 90 of the General Statutes."

Sec. 2.  Chapter 58, Article 27, Section 260 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, is hereby amended by inserting after the word "optometrist" in line 3 of the second paragraph the words:

", or a duly licensed podiatrist," and by inserting in line 6 of paragraph 2 after the word "optometrist" the words: ", or a duly licensed podiatrist,".

Sec. 3.  Chapter 90 of the General Statutes of North Carolina is hereby amended by adding a new Section immediately following G.S. 90-202 to be numbered G.S. 90-202.1 and to read as follows:

"G.S. 90-202.1.  Free Choice by Patient Guaranteed. No agency of the State, county or municipality, nor any commission or clinic, nor any board administering relief, social security, health insurance or health service under the laws of the State of North Carolina shall deny to the recipients or beneficiaries of their aid or services the freedom to choose the provider of care or service which are within the scope of practice of a duly licensed podiatrist or duly licensed physician as defined in this Chapter."

Sec. 4.  Nothing in this Act shall be construed to equate podiatrists with physicians except to the extent that each must be duly licensed.

Sec. 5.  All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.

Sec. 6.  This Act shall be in full force and effect on and after July 1, 1967.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 6th day of June, 1967.