31A-2-216.   Office of Consumer Health Assistance.
     (1) The commissioner shall establish:
     (a) an Office of Consumer Health Assistance before July 1, 1999; and
     (b) a committee to advise the commissioner on consumer assistance rendered under this section.
     (2) The office shall:
     (a) be a resource for health care consumers concerning health care coverage or the need for such coverage;
     (b) help health care consumers understand:
     (i) contractual rights and responsibilities;
     (ii) statutory protections; and
     (iii) available remedies;
     (c) educate health care consumers:
     (i) by producing or collecting and disseminating educational materials to consumers, health insurers, and health benefit plans; and
     (ii) through outreach and other educational activities;
     (d) for health care consumers that have difficulty in accessing their health insurance policies because of language, disability, age, or ethnicity, provide services, directly or through referral, such as:
     (i) information and referral; and
     (ii) adverse benefit determination process initiation;
     (e) analyze and monitor federal and state consumer health-related statutes, rules, and regulations; and
     (f) summarize information gathered under this section and make the summaries available to the public, government agencies, and the Legislature.
     (3) The office may:
     (a) obtain data from health care consumers as necessary to further the office's duties under this section;
     (b) investigate complaints and attempt to resolve complaints at the lowest possible level; and
     (c) assist, but not testify or represent, a consumer in an adverse benefit determination, arbitration, judicial, or related proceeding, unless the proceeding is in connection with an enforcement action brought under Section 31A-2-308.
     (4) The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to implement the requirements of this section.

Amended by Chapter 308, 2002 General Session
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Last revised: Thursday, May 28, 2009