Embedded Files
MAINE
4/11/17
Bill Title: An Act To Require Insurance Coverage for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Disease
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2018-03-22 - Pursuant to Joint Rule 310.3 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)
Link To Bill Here
https://legiscan.com/ME/text/LD1417/2017
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Public Law, Chapter 340, LD 597, 126th Maine State Legislature: An Act to
Inform Persons of the Options for the Treatment of Lyme Disease
2013 Legislation
H.P 416- L. D. 597
Page 1 - 126LR1506(12)-1
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND AND THIRTEEN
_____
H.P. 416 - L.D. 597
An Act To Inform Persons of the Options for the Treatment of Lyme Disease
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §1646 is enacted to read:
§1646. Lyme disease testing information disclosure
1. Definition. For the purposes of this section, "health care provider" means a
physician, hospital or person that is licensed or otherwise authorized in this State to
provide health care services.
2. Lyme disease testing information disclosure. Every health care provider that
orders a laboratory test for the presence of Lyme disease shall provide the patient with a
copy of the results of the test.
Sec. 2. Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention; alternatives for
treatment of Lyme disease. The Department of Health and Human Services, Maine
Center for Disease Control and Prevention shall include on the publicly accessible
website established pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 1645,
subsection 3 the following information regarding Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment:
1. Lyme disease may be difficult to diagnose and treat;
2. Some patients seem not to respond to the usual antibiotics used for treating Lyme
disease and seem to have post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome. There are some
doctors who believe that longer doses of antibiotics may sometimes be helpful. Some
patients believe that they have benefited from extended treatments of antibiotics;
3. Antibiotics can be lifesaving medications but can have serious side effects, such as
the development of drug-resistant organisms. A patient who contracts an infection from a
drug-resistant organism may never fully recover;
APPROVED
JUNE 24, 2013
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
340
PUBLIC LAW
Page 2 - 126LR1506(12)-1
4. A negative result for a Lyme disease test does not necessarily mean that Lyme
disease is not present and if symptoms continue, the patient should contact a health care
provider and inquire about the appropriateness of retesting or additional treatment; and
5. Information on treatment alternatives for treating Lyme disease is available
through Internet websites of organizations, including, but not limited to, MaineLyme,
Lyme Disease Association, the Mayo Clinic, the National Institutes of Health and
WebMD.
Google Sites
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