2015 Tennessee Code
Title 56 - Insurance
Chapter 61 - Tennessee Health Carrier Grievance and External Review Procedure Act
§ 56-61-113 - Notice of right to external review.

(a) A health carrier shall notify the aggrieved person in writing of the right to request an external review to be conducted pursuant to §§ 56-61-116 and 56-61-118 and include the appropriate statements and information set forth in subsection (b) at the same time that the health carrier sends written notice of a final adverse determination. As part of the written notice required under this subsection (a), a health carrier shall include the following, or substantially equivalent language:

We have denied your request for the provision of or payment for a healthcare service or course of treatment. You have the right to have our decision reviewed by healthcare professionals who have no association with us if our decision involved making a judgment as to the medical necessity, appropriateness, healthcare setting, level of care or effectiveness of the healthcare service or treatment you requested by submitting a written request for external review to us.

(b) The health carrier shall include the following in the notice required under subsection (a):

(1) For a notice related to an adverse determination, a statement informing the aggrieved person that:

(A) If the covered person has a medical condition where the timeframe for completion of an expedited review of a grievance involving an adverse determination set forth in § 56-61-109 would seriously jeopardize the life or health of the covered person or would jeopardize the covered person's ability to regain maximum function, the aggrieved person may file a request for an expedited external review to be conducted pursuant to § 56-61-117;

(B) The aggrieved person may file a grievance under the health carrier's internal grievance process as set forth in § 56-61-107. An aggrieved person shall be considered to have exhausted the health carrier's internal grievance process for purposes of this section, if the aggrieved person:

(i) Has filed a grievance involving an adverse determination pursuant to § 56-61-107; and

(ii) Has not received a written decision on the grievance from the health carrier within thirty (30) days for prospective review determinations and sixty (60) days for retrospective review determinations following the date the aggrieved person filed the grievance with the health carrier unless the aggrieved person requested or agreed to a delay;

(2) For a notice related to a final adverse determination, a statement informing the aggrieved person that:

(A) If the covered person has a medical condition where the timeframe for completion of a standard external review pursuant to § 56-61-116 or § 56-61-118 would seriously jeopardize the life or health of the covered person or would jeopardize the covered person's ability to regain maximum function, the aggrieved person may file a request for an expedited external review pursuant to § 56-61-117 or § 56-61-118(n);

(B) If the final adverse determination concerns an admission, availability of care, continued stay or healthcare service for which the covered person received emergency services, but has not been discharged from a facility, the aggrieved person may file a request for an expedited external review pursuant to § 56-61-117 or § 56-61-118(n).

(c) In addition to the information to be provided pursuant to subdivision (b)(1), the health carrier shall include a copy of the description of both the standard and expedited external review procedures highlighting the provisions in the external review procedures that give the aggrieved person the opportunity to submit additional information and any forms used to process an external review.

(d) As part of any forms provided under subdivision (b)(2), the health carrier shall include an authorization form that complies with the requirements of 45 CFR 164.508, by which the covered person, for purposes of conducting an external review under this chapter, authorizes the health carrier and the covered person's treating healthcare provider to disclose protected health information, including, but not limited to, medical records concerning the covered person that are pertinent to the external review.