2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 38a - Insurance
Chapter 700c - Health Insurance
Section 38a-591d - Utilization review and benefit determinations. Urgent care requests. Information provided in notice of adverse determination.

(a)(1) Each health carrier shall maintain written procedures for (A) utilization review and benefit determinations, (B) expedited utilization review and benefit determinations with respect to prospective urgent care requests and concurrent review urgent care requests, and (C) notifying covered persons or covered persons’ authorized representatives of such review and benefit determinations. Each health carrier shall make such review and benefit determinations within the specified time periods under this section.

(2) In determining whether a benefit request shall be considered an urgent care request, an individual acting on behalf of a health carrier shall apply the judgment of a prudent layperson who possesses an average knowledge of health and medicine, except that any benefit request determined to be an urgent care request by a health care professional with knowledge of the covered person’s medical condition shall be deemed an urgent care request.

(b) With respect to a nonurgent care request:

(1) For a prospective or concurrent review request, a health carrier shall make a determination within a reasonable period of time appropriate to the covered person’s medical condition, but not later than fifteen calendar days after the date the health carrier receives such request, and shall notify the covered person and, if applicable, the covered person’s authorized representative of such determination, whether or not the carrier certifies the provision of the benefit.

(2) For a retrospective review request, a health carrier shall make a determination within a reasonable period of time, but not later than thirty calendar days after the date the health carrier receives such request.

(3) The time periods specified in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection may be extended once by the health carrier for up to fifteen calendar days, provided the health carrier:

(A) Determines that an extension is necessary due to circumstances beyond the health carrier’s control; and

(B) Notifies the covered person and, if applicable, the covered person’s authorized representative prior to the expiration of the initial time period, of the circumstances requiring the extension of time and the date by which the health carrier expects to make a determination.

(4) (A) If the extension pursuant to subdivision (3) of this subsection is necessary due to the failure of the covered person or the covered person’s authorized representative to provide information necessary to make a determination on the request, the health carrier shall:

(i) Specifically describe in the notice of extension the required information necessary to complete the request; and

(ii) Provide the covered person and, if applicable, the covered person’s authorized representative with not less than forty-five calendar days after the date of receipt of the notice to provide the specified information.

(B) If the covered person or the covered person’s authorized representative fails to submit the specified information before the end of the period of the extension, the health carrier may deny certification of the benefit requested.

(c) With respect to an urgent care request:

(1) Unless the covered person or the covered person’s authorized representative has failed to provide information necessary for the health carrier to make a determination, the health carrier shall make a determination as soon as possible, taking into account the covered person’s medical condition, but not later than seventy-two hours after the health carrier receives such request, provided, if the urgent care request is a concurrent review request to extend a course of treatment beyond the initial period of time or the number of treatments, such request is made at least twenty-four hours prior to the expiration of the prescribed period of time or number of treatments;

(2) (A) If the covered person or the covered person’s authorized representative has failed to provide information necessary for the health carrier to make a determination, the health carrier shall notify the covered person or the covered person’s representative, as applicable, as soon as possible, but not later than twenty-four hours after the health carrier receives such request.

(B) The health carrier shall provide the covered person or the covered person’s authorized representative, as applicable, a reasonable period of time to submit the specified information, taking into account the covered person’s medical condition, but not less than forty-eight hours after notifying the covered person or the covered person’s authorized representative, as applicable.

(3) The health carrier shall notify the covered person and, if applicable, the covered person’s authorized representative of its determination as soon as possible, but not later than forty-eight hours after the earlier of (A) the date on which the covered person and the covered person’s authorized representative, as applicable, provides the specified information to the health carrier, or (B) the date on which the specified information was to have been submitted.

(d) (1) Whenever a health carrier receives a review request from a covered person or a covered person’s authorized representative that fails to meet the health carrier’s filing procedures, the health carrier shall notify the covered person and, if applicable, the covered person’s authorized representative of such failure not later than five calendar days after the health carrier receives such request, except that for an urgent care request, the health carrier shall notify the covered person and, if applicable, the covered person’s authorized representative of such failure not later than twenty-four hours after the health carrier receives such request.

(2) If the health carrier provides such notice orally, the health carrier shall provide confirmation in writing to the covered person and the covered person’s health care professional of record not later than five calendar days after providing the oral notice.

(e) Each health carrier shall provide promptly to a covered person and, if applicable, the covered person’s authorized representative a notice of an adverse determination.

(1) Such notice may be provided in writing or by electronic means and shall set forth, in a manner calculated to be understood by the covered person or the covered person’s authorized representative:

(A) Information sufficient to identify the benefit request or claim involved, including the date of service, if applicable, the health care professional and the claim amount;

(B) The specific reason or reasons for the adverse determination and a description of the health carrier’s standard, if any, that was used in reaching the denial;

(C) Reference to the specific health benefit plan provisions on which the determination is based;

(D) A description of any additional material or information necessary for the covered person to perfect the benefit request or claim, including an explanation of why the material or information is necessary to perfect the request or claim;

(E) A description of the health carrier’s internal grievance process that includes (i) the health carrier’s expedited review procedures, (ii) any time limits applicable to such process or procedures, (iii) the contact information for the organizational unit designated to coordinate the review on behalf of the health carrier, and (iv) a statement that the covered person or, if applicable, the covered person’s authorized representative is entitled, pursuant to the requirements of the health carrier’s internal grievance process, to (I) submit written comments, documents, records and other material relating to the covered person’s benefit request for consideration by the individual or individuals conducting the review, and (II) receive from the health carrier, free of charge upon request, reasonable access to and copies of all documents, records, communications and other information and evidence regarding the covered person’s benefit request;

(F) If the adverse determination is based on a health carrier’s internal rule, guideline, protocol or other similar criterion, (i) the specific rule, guideline, protocol or other similar criterion, or (ii) a statement that a specific rule, guideline, protocol or other similar criterion of the health carrier was relied upon to make the adverse determination and that a copy of such rule, guideline, protocol or other similar criterion will be provided to the covered person free of charge upon request, and instructions for requesting such copy;

(G) If the adverse determination is based on medical necessity or an experimental or investigational treatment or similar exclusion or limit, the written statement of the scientific or clinical rationale for the adverse determination and (i) an explanation of the scientific or clinical rationale used to make the determination that applies the terms of the health benefit plan to the covered person’s medical circumstances or (ii) a statement that an explanation will be provided to the covered person free of charge upon request, and instructions for requesting a copy of such explanation; and

(H) A statement explaining the right of the covered person to contact the commissioner’s office or the Office of the Healthcare Advocate at any time for assistance or, upon completion of the health carrier’s internal grievance process, to file a civil suit in a court of competent jurisdiction. Such statement shall include the contact information for said offices.

(2) Upon request pursuant to subparagraph (E) of subdivision (1) of this subsection, the health carrier shall provide such copies in accordance with subsection (a) of section 38a-591n.

(f) If the adverse determination is a rescission, the health carrier shall include with the advance notice of the application for rescission required to be sent to the covered person, a written statement that includes:

(1) Clear identification of the alleged fraudulent act, practice or omission or the intentional misrepresentation of material fact;

(2) An explanation as to why the act, practice or omission was fraudulent or was an intentional misrepresentation of a material fact;

(3) A disclosure that the covered person or the covered person’s authorized representative may file immediately, without waiting for the date such advance notice of the proposed rescission ends, a grievance with the health carrier to request a review of the adverse determination to rescind coverage, pursuant to sections 38a-591e and 38a-591f;

(4) A description of the health carrier’s grievance procedures established under sections 38a-591e and 38a-591f, including any time limits applicable to those procedures; and

(5) The date such advance notice of the proposed rescission ends and the date back to which the coverage will be retroactively rescinded.

(g) (1) Whenever a health carrier fails to strictly adhere to the requirements of this section with respect to making utilization review and benefit determinations of a benefit request or claim, the covered person shall be deemed to have exhausted the internal grievance process of such health carrier and may file a request for an external review in accordance with the provisions of section 38a-591g, regardless of whether the health carrier asserts it substantially complied with the requirements of this section or that any error it committed was de minimis.

(2) A covered person who has exhausted the internal grievance process of a health carrier may, in addition to filing a request for an external review, pursue any available remedies under state or federal law on the basis that the health carrier failed to provide a reasonable internal grievance process that would yield a decision on the merits of the claim.

(P.A. 11-58, S. 57; P.A. 12-102, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 11-58 effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-102 amended Subsec. (e) to designate provisions re adverse determination notice as new Subdiv. (1), redesignate existing Subdivs. (1) to (8) as Subparas. (A) to (H) and make conforming changes, add “communications” and “evidence regarding” re benefit request in redesignated Subdiv. (1)(E), and add new Subdiv. (2) re health carrier obligation to provide copies in accordance with Sec. 38a-591n(a).