Maryland Health - General Section 19-710.1
§ 19-710.1.
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.
(2) "Enrollee" means a subscriber or member of the health maintenance organization.
(3) "Adjunct claims documentation" means an abstract of an enrollee's medical record which describes and summarizes the diagnosis and treatment of, and services rendered to, the enrollee, including, in the case of trauma rendered in a trauma center, an operative report, a discharge summary, a Maryland Ambulance Information Systems form, or a medical record.
(4) "Institute" means the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems.
(5) (i) "Trauma center" means a primary adult resource center, level I trauma center, level II trauma center, level III trauma center, or pediatric trauma center that has been designated by the institute to provide care to trauma patients.
(ii) "Trauma center" includes an out-of-state pediatric facility that has entered into an agreement with the institute to provide care to trauma patients.
(6) "Trauma patient" means a patient that is evaluated or treated in a trauma center and is entered into the State trauma registry as a trauma patient.
(7) "Trauma physician" means a licensed physician who has been credentialed or designated by a trauma center to provide care to a trauma patient at a trauma center.
(b) (1) In addition to any other provisions of this subtitle, for a covered service rendered to an enrollee of a health maintenance organization by a health care provider not under written contract with the health maintenance organization, the health maintenance organization or its agent:
(i) Shall pay the health care provider within 30 days after the receipt of a claim in accordance with the applicable provisions of this subtitle; and
(ii) Shall pay the claim submitted by:
1. A hospital at the rate approved by the Health Services Cost Review Commission;
2. A trauma physician for trauma care rendered to a trauma patient in a trauma center, at the greater of:
A. 140% of the rate paid by the Medicare program, as published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, for the same covered service, to a similarly licensed provider; or
B. The rate as of January 1, 2001 that the health maintenance organization paid in the same geographic area, as published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, for the same covered service, to a similarly licensed provider; and
3. Any other health care provider at the greater of:
A. 125% of the rate the health maintenance organization pays in the same geographic area, as published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, for the same covered service, to a similarly licensed provider under written contract with the health maintenance organization; or
B. The rate as of January 1, 2000 that the health maintenance organization paid in the same geographic area, as published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, for the same covered service, to a similarly licensed provider not under written contract with the health maintenance organization.
(2) A health maintenance organization shall disclose, on request of a health care provider not under written contract with the health maintenance organization, the reimbursement rate required under paragraph (1)(ii)2 and 3 of this subsection.
(3) (i) Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, a health maintenance organization may require a trauma physician not under contract with the health maintenance organization to submit appropriate adjunct claims documentation and to include on the uniform claim form a provider number assigned to the trauma physician by the health maintenance organization.
(ii) If a health maintenance organization requires a trauma physician to include a provider number on the uniform claim form in accordance with subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the health maintenance organization shall assign a provider number to a trauma physician not under contract with the health maintenance organization at the request of the physician.
(4) A trauma center, on request from a health maintenance organization, shall verify that a licensed physician is credentialed or otherwise designated by the trauma center to provide trauma care.
(5) Notwithstanding the provisions of § 19-701(d) of this subtitle, for trauma care rendered to a trauma patient in a trauma center by a trauma physician, a health maintenance organization may not require a referral or preauthorization for a service to be covered.
(c) (1) A health maintenance organization may seek reimbursement from an enrollee for any payment under subsection (b) of this section for a claim or portion of a claim submitted by a health care provider and paid by the health maintenance organization that the health maintenance organization determines is the responsibility of the enrollee.
(2) The health maintenance organization may request and the health care provider shall provide adjunct claims documentation to assist in making the determination under paragraph (1) of this subsection or under subsection (b) of this section.
(d) (1) A health care provider may enforce the provisions of this section by filing a complaint against a health maintenance organization with the Maryland Insurance Administration or by filing a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction under § 1-501 or § 4-201 of the Courts Article.
(2) The Maryland Insurance Administration or a court shall award reasonable attorney fees if the complaint of the health care provider is sustained.
(e) In addition to any other penalties under this subtitle, the Commissioner may impose a penalty not to exceed $5,000 on any health maintenance organization which violates the provisions of this section if the violation is committed with such frequency as to indicate a general business practice of the health maintenance organization.
