An Act To Require Health Insurers To Provide Coverage for Nutritional Wellness and Prevention
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 1667
Committee: Insurance and Financial Services
Sponsors: TUTTLE, SCHNEIDER, BARSTOW, BEAUDOIN, BOLAND, BRAUTIGAM, BURNS, CANAVAN, GROSE, WEAVER, SULLIVAN

Legislative Document 
No. 1667 
H.P.1176 
House of Representatives, March 22, 2007 
An Act To Require Health Insurers To Provide Coverage for 
Nutritional Wellness and Prevention 
Reference to the Committee on Insurance and Financial Services suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative TUTTLE of Sanford. 
Cosponsored by Senator SCHNEIDER of Penobscot and 
'7J1~ 1/1. 77ld£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BARSTOW of Gorham, BEAUDOIN of Biddeford, BOLAND of Sanford, 
BRAUTIGAM of Falmouth, BURNS of Berwick, CANAVAN of Waterville, GROSE of 
Woolwich, WEAVER of York, Senator: SULLIVAN of York. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 24-A MRS A §4316 is enacted to read: 
§4316. Coveraee for nutritional well ness and prevention 
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings. 
A. "Dietary supplement" has the same meaning as in the federal Dietary Supplement 
Health and Education Act of 1994 and means a product, other than tobacco, that: 
(I) 
Is intended to supplement the diet and contains one or more dietary 
ingredients, including, but not limited to, vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals, 
amino acids, concentrates, metabolites, extracts and other substances and their 
constituents; 
(2) Is intended for ingestion in pill, capsule, tablet or liquid form; 
(3) Is not represented for use as a conventional food or the sole item of a meal or 
diet; and 
(4) Is labeled as a dietary supplement. 
B. "Nutritional wellness and prevention" means nutritional measures and products, 
including dietary supplements, whose primary purposes are to enhance health, 
improve nutritional intake, strengthen the immune system, cleanse the body of toxins, 
address specific health needs and aid in resisting disease. 
2. 
Required coverage. A carrier shaH provide coverage and reimburse for 
nutritional wellness and prevention measures that have been shown to be beneficial to an 
enroHee's health when used as directed by the manufacturer or manufacturer's 
representative. 
3. Application. The requirements of this section apply to all policies, contracts and 
certificates executed, delivered, issued for delivery, continued or renewed in this State. 
For purposes of this section, all contracts are deemed to be renewed no later than the next 
yearly anniversary of the contract date. 
Sec. 2. Application. The requirements of this Act apply to all policies, contracts 
and certificates executed, delivered, issued for delivery, continued or renewed in this 
State on or after January 1,2008. For purposes of this Act, all contracts are deemed to be 
renewed no later than the next yearly anniversary of the contract date. 
SUMMARY 
The purpose of this bill is to improve health, reduce health care usage and costs and 
help prevent disease through nutritional wellness and prevention measures and allow for 
nonpharmacological alternatives to enrollees who choose them. The biB requires that 
health insurance policies provide coverage for nutritional wellness and prevention that is 
shown to be beneficial to the enrollee. The bill applies to all individual and group 
policies issued or renewed on or after January 1,2008.