No. 27504 (Amendment): R590-203. Health Grievance Review Process and Disability Claims

DAR File No.: 27504
Filed: 10/25/2004, 09:11
Received by: NL

 

RULE ANALYSIS

Purpose of the rule or reason for the change:

This rule is being changed to comply with a new interpretation to the federal rule Claim Procedure, 29 CFR 2560.503-1, and changes to Sections 31A-4-116 and 31A-22-629 as amended by the 2002 Legislature in S.B. 122. (DAR NOTE: S.B. 122 is found at UT L 2002 Ch 308, and was effective 05/06/2002.)

 

Summary of the rule or change:

The main changes to this rule include: the inclusion in the grievance review process of income replacement policies and long and short term disability policies; new definitions; an independent review to be conducted in compliance with Section 31A-22-629 can now be binding; a new section is added entitled, Income Replacement Adverse Benefit Determination Review; and a requirement for insurers to keep their adverse benefit determination review records for the current year plus three years.

 

State statutory or constitutional authorization for this rule:

Sections 31A-2-201, 31A-2-203, 31A-4-116, and 31A-22-629

 

Anticipated cost or savings to:

the state budget:

This rule will not affect the state's budget since the changes do not require licensees to file anything with the department nor require the department to take action that will add to or reduce their workload.

 

local governments:

This rule does not affect local governments. It only deals with the relationship between health insurers licensed to do business in Utah and the Insurance Department. Therefore, there are no anticipated costs or savings to local government.

 

other persons:

Most carriers affected by this rule already have a grievance review process. The changes to this rule will extend the grievance process to long-term and short-term policies and group health policies thus expanding consumer protection to more policyholders. Insurers will need to change the forms of these policies to include guidelines regarding this requirement. It is anticipated that the cost to insurers will be minimal. Costs to do this may be passed onto consumers in the way of increased premium.

 

Compliance costs for affected persons:

Most carriers affected by this rule already have a grievance review process. The changes to this rule will extend the grievance process to long-term and short-term policies and group health policies thus expanding consumer protection to more policyholders. Insurers will need to change the forms of these policies to include guidelines regarding this requirement. It is anticipated that the cost to insurers will be minimal. Costs to do this may be passed onto consumers in the way of increased premium.

 

Comments by the department head on the fiscal impact the rule may have on businesses:

The fiscal impact of these changes on insurers doing business in Utah should be minimal.

 

The full text of this rule may be inspected, during regular business hours, at the Division of Administrative Rules, or at:

Insurance
Administration
Room 3110 STATE OFFICE BLDG
450 N MAIN ST
SALT LAKE CITY UT 84114-1201

 

Direct questions regarding this rule to:

Jilene Whitby at the above address, by phone at 801-538-3803, by FAX at 801-538-3829, or by Internet E-mail at [e-mail]

 

Interested persons may present their views on this rule by submitting written comments to the address above no later than 5:00 p.m. on:

12/15/2004

 

Interested persons may attend a public hearing regarding this rule:

12/02/2004 at 1:00 PM, State Office Building, Room 3112 (third floor), Salt Lake City, UT

 

This rule may become effective on:

12/16/2004

 

Authorized by:

Jilene Whitby, Information Specialist

 

 

RULE TEXT

R590. Insurance, Administration.

R590-203. Health Grievance Review Process and Disability Claims.

R590-203-1. Authority.

This rule is specifically authorized by 31A-22-629(4) and 31A-4-116, which requires the commissioner to establish minimum standards for grievance review procedures. The rule is also promulgated pursuant to Subsections 31A-2-201(1) and 31A-2-201(3)(a) in which the commissioner is empowered to administer and enforce this title and to make rules to implement the provisions of this title. The authority to examine insurer records, files, and documentation is provided by 31A-2-203.

 

R590-203-2. Purpose.

The purpose of this rule is to ensure that [health ]insurer's grievance review procedures for individual and group health insurance and income replacement[employer health benefit] plans comply with the Department of Labor, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration Rules and Regulations for Administration and Enforcement: Claims Procedure, 29 CFR 2560.503-1, Utah Code Sections 31A-4-116 and 31A-22-629.

 

R590-203-3. Applicability and Scope.

(1) This rule applies to [all]individual and group:

(a) policies issued or renewed and effective on or after January 1, 2001;

(b) income replacement policies;

(i) including short-term, and

(ii) long-term disability policies;

(b) health insurance; and

(c) [policies and] health maintenance organization contracts[, as defined by 31A-1-301 covering individual and group benefit plans issued or renewed and effective on or after January 1, 2001].

(2) Long Term Care and Medicare supplement policies are not considered health insurance for the purpose of this rule.

 

R590-203-4. Definitions.

For the purposes of this rule:

(1) ["Benefit Plans" means health insurance as defined in 31A-1-301.]"Consumer Representative" may be an employee who is a consumer of a health insurance or an income replacement policy, as long as the employee is not;

(a) the individual who had made the adverse determination, or

(b) a subordinate to the individual who made the adverse determination.

(2) "Health Insurance" means:

(a) health care insurance as defined in 31A-1-301; and

(b) health maintenance organization as defined in 31A-8-101.

([2]3) "Medical Necessity" means:

(a) health care services or products that a prudent health care professional would provide to a patient for the purpose of preventing, diagnosing or treating an illness, injury, disease or it symptoms in a manner that is:

(i) in accordance with generally accepted standards of medical practice in the United States;

(ii) clinically appropriate in terms of type, frequency, extent, site, and duration;

(iii) not primarily for the convenience of the patient, physician, or other health care provider; and

(iv) covered under the contract; and

(b) that when a medical question-of-fact exists medical necessity shall include the most appropriate available supply or level of service for the individual in question, considering potential benefits and harms to the individual, and known to be effective.

(i) For interventions not yet in widespread use, the effectiveness shall be based on scientific evidence.

(ii) For established interventions, the effectiveness shall be based on:

([a]A) scientific evidence;

([b]B) professional standards; and

([c]C) expert opinion.

([3]4)(a) "Scientific evidence" means:

([a]i) scientific studies published in or accepted for publication by medical journals that meet nationally recognized requirements for scientific manuscripts and that submit most of their published articles for review by experts who are not part of the editorial staff; or

([b]ii) findings, studies or research conducted by or under the auspices of federal government agencies and nationally recognized federal research institutes.

([c]b) Scientific evidence shall not include published peer-reviewed literature sponsored to a significant extent by a pharmaceutical manufacturing company or medical device manufacturer or a single study without other supportable studies.

 

R590-203-5. Adverse Benefit Determination[ Reviews].

(1) An insurer's adverse benefit determination review procedure shall be compliant with the adverse benefit determination review requirements set forth in the Department of Labor, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration Rules and Regulations for Administration and Enforcement: Claims Procedure, 29 CFR 2560.503-1, effective January 20, 2001. This document is incorporated by reference and available for inspection at the Insurance Department and the Department of Administrative Rules.

(2) The provision of this rule and federal regulation applies to claims filed under individual or group plans on or after the first day of the first plan year beginning on or after July 1, 2002, but no later than January 1, 2003.

(3) An insurer's adverse benefit determination appeal board or body shall include at least one consumer representative that shall be present at every meeting.

 

R590-203-6. Independent and Expedited Adverse Benefit Determination Reviews for Health Insurance.

(1) An insurer shall provide an independent review procedure as a voluntary option for the resolution of adverse benefit determinations[ of medical necessity].

(2) An independent review procedure shall be conducted by an independent review organization, person, or entity other than the insurer, the plan, the plan's fiduciary, the employer, or any employee or agent of any of the foregoing, that do not have any material professional, familial, or financial conflict of interest with the health plan, any officer, director, or management employee of the health plan, the enrollee, the enrollee's health care provider, the provider's medical group or independent practice association, the health care facility where service would be provided and the developer or manufacturer of the service being provided.

(3) Independent review organizations shall be designated by the insurer, and the independent review organization chosen shall not own or control, be a subsidiary of, or in any way be owned or controlled by, or exercise control with a health insurance plan, a national, state, or local trade association of health insurance plans, and a national, state, or local trade association of health care providers.

(4) The submission to an independent review procedure is purely voluntary and left to the discretion of the claimant.

(5) An insurer's voluntary independent review procedure shall:

(a) waive any right to assert that a claimant has failed to exhaust administrative remedies because the claimant did not elect to submit a dispute of medical necessity to a voluntary level of appeal provided by the plan;

(b) agree that any statute of limitations or other defense based on timeliness is tolled during the time a voluntary appeal is pending;

(c) allow a claimant to submit a dispute of medical necessity to a voluntary level of appeal only after exhaustion of the appeals permitted under 29 CFR Subsection 2560.503-1(c)(2), of the Department of Labor, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration Rules and Regulation for the Administration and Enforcement: Claims Procedure[.];

(d) upon request from any claimant, provide sufficient information relating to the voluntary level of appeal to enable the claimant to make an informed decision about whether to submit a dispute of medical necessity to the voluntary level of appeal. This information shall contain a statement that the decision to use a voluntary level of appeal will not effect the claimant's rights to any other benefits under the plan and information about the applicable rules, the claimants right to representation, the process for selecting the decision maker.

(e) An independent review conducted in compliance with Section 31A-22-629, and this rule, can be binding. A claimant's submission to a binding independent review is purely voluntary and appropriate disclosure and notification must be given as required by the Department of Labor, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration Rules and Regulations for Administration and Enforcement: Claims Procedure, 29 CFR 2560.503-1.

(6) Standards for voluntary independent review:

(a) The insurer's internal adverse benefit determination process must be exhausted unless the insurer and insured mutually agree to waive the internal process.

(b) Any adverse benefit determination of medical necessity may be the subject of an independent review.

(c) The claimant has 180 calendar days from the date of the final internal review decision to request an independent review.

(d) An insurer shall use the same minimum standards and times of notification requirement for an independent review that are used for internal levels of review, as set forth in 29 CFR Subsection 2560.503-1(h)(3), (i)(2) and (j).

(7) An insurer shall provide an expedited review process for cases involving urgent care claims.

(8) A request for an expedited review of an adverse benefit determination of medical necessity may be submitted either orally or in writing. If the request is made orally an insurer shall, within 24 hours, send written confirmation to the claimant acknowledging the receipt of the request for an expedited review.

(9) An expedited review requires:

(a) all necessary information, including the plan's original benefit determination be transmitted between the plan and the claimant by telephone, facsimile, or other available similarly expeditious method;

(b) an insurer to notify the claimant of the benefit review determination, as soon as possible, taking into account the medical urgency, but not later than 72 hours after receipt of the claimant's request for review of an adverse benefit determination; and

(c) an insurer to use the same minimum standard for timing and notification as set forth in 29 CFR Subsection 2560.503-1(h), 503-1(i)(2)(i), 503-1(j).

 

R590-203-7. Income Replacement Adverse Benefit Determination Review.

(1) For initial level of review, an insurer will resolve a disability claim within 45 days of receipt of the claim for benefits.

(2) For reasons beyond the control of the plan administrator or the insurer, there may be a 30-day extension granted.

(3) If after the first 30-day extension, the plan administrator or the insurer should determine that they still cannot determine benefits and it is still out of their control, a final 30-day extension will be allowed.

(4) Upon request, relevant information free-of-charge, must be provided to the insured on any adverse benefit determination.

 

R590-203-[7]8. File and Record Documentation.

An insurer shall make available upon request by the commissioner, or the commissioner's duly appointed designees, all adverse benefit determination review[s] files and related documentation. An insurer shall keep these records for the current calendar year plus three years.

 

R590-203-[8]9. Compliance.

Insurers are to be compliant with the provisions of this rule and the Department of Labor, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration Rules and Regulations for Administration and Enforcement: Claims Procedure, 29 CFR 2560.503-1, by July 1, 2002.

 

R590-203-[9]10. Relationship to Federal Rules.

If an insurer complies with the requirements of the Department of Labor, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration Rules and Regulations for Administration and Enforcement: Claims Procedure, 29 CFR 2560.503-1, then this rule is not applicable to employer [benefit ]plans, except for Sections [R590-203-]4, [R590-203-]5, [R590-203-]6, [and R590-203-]7, and 8 of this rule. All individual [health benefit ]plans will remain subject to this rule in its entirety.

 

R590-203-[10]11. Severability.

If a provision or clause of this rule or its application to any person or circumstance is for any reason held to be invalid, the remainder of the rule and the application of these provisions shall not be affected.

 

KEY: insurance

[May 17, 2002]2004

31A-2-201

31A-2-203

31A-4-116

31A-22-629