33-36-204. Health carriers -- general responsibilities. (1) A health carrier offering a managed care plan shall notify, in writing, prospective participating providers of the participating providers' responsibilities concerning the health carrier's administrative policies and programs, including but not limited to payment terms, utilization reviews, the quality assurance program, credentialing, grievance procedures, data reporting requirements, confidentiality requirements, and applicable federal or state requirements.
     (2) A health carrier may not offer an inducement under a managed care plan to a participating provider to provide less than medically necessary services to a covered person.
     (3) A health carrier may not prohibit a participating provider from discussing a treatment option with a covered person or from advocating on behalf of a covered person within the utilization review or grievance processes established by the health carrier or a person contracting with the health carrier.
     (4) A health carrier shall require a participating provider to make health records available to appropriate state and federal authorities, in accordance with the applicable state and federal laws related to the confidentiality of medical or health records, when the authorities are involved in assessing the quality of care or investigating a grievance or complaint of a covered person.
     (5) A health carrier and participating provider shall provide at least 60 days' written notice to each other before terminating the contract between them without cause. The health carrier shall make a good faith effort to provide written notice of a termination, within 15 working days of receipt or issuance of a notice of termination from or to a participating provider, to all covered persons who are patients seen on a regular basis by the participating provider whose contract is terminating, irrespective of whether the termination is for cause or without cause. If a contract termination involves a primary care professional, all covered persons who are patients of that primary care professional must be notified.
     (6) A health carrier shall ensure that a participating provider furnishes covered benefits to all covered persons without regard to the covered person's enrollment in the plan as a private purchaser or as a participant in a publicly financed program of health care services. This requirement does not apply to circumstances in which the participating provider should not render services because of the participating provider's lack of training, experience, or skill or because of a restriction on the participating provider's license.
     (7) A health carrier shall notify the participating providers of their obligation, if any, to collect applicable coinsurance, copayments, or deductibles from covered persons pursuant to the evidence of coverage or of the participating providers' obligations, if any, to notify covered persons of the covered persons' personal financial obligations for noncovered benefits.
     (8) A health carrier may not penalize a participating provider because the participating provider, in good faith, reports to state or federal authorities an act or practice by the health carrier that may adversely affect patient health or welfare.
     (9) A health carrier shall establish a mechanism by which a participating provider may determine in a timely manner whether or not a person is covered by the health carrier.
     (10) A health carrier shall establish procedures for resolution of administrative, payment, or other disputes between the health carrier and participating providers.
     (11) A contract between a health carrier and a participating provider may not contain definitions or other provisions that conflict with the definitions or provisions contained in the managed care plan or this chapter.
     (12) A contract between a health carrier and a participating provider shall set forth all of the responsibilities and obligations of the provider either in the contract or documents referenced in the contract. A health carrier shall make its best effort to furnish copies of any reference documents, if requested by a participating provider, prior to execution of the contract.

     History: En. Sec. 16, Ch. 413, L. 1997.