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Third Substitute S.B. 66

This document includes Senate 2nd Reading Floor Amendments incorporated into the bill on Mon, Feb 12, 2007 at 4:09 PM by rday. --> This document includes Senate 3rd Reading Floor Amendments incorporated into the bill on Tue, Feb 13, 2007 at 3:54 PM by rday. -->

Senator Michael G. Waddoups proposes the following substitute bill:


             1     
EMPLOYER HEALTH INSURANCE OPTIONS -

             2     
CAFETERIA PLANS

             3     
2007 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Michael G. Waddoups

             6     
House Sponsor: David Clark


             7      Cosponsors:
             8      D. Chris Buttars
             9      Allen M. Christensen
Gene Davis
Margaret Dayton
Mike Dmitrich
John W. Hickman
Ed Mayne
Dennis E. Stowell

             10     

             11      LONG TITLE
             12      General Description:
             13          This bill amends the Insurance Code to require certain health insurers to offer a point of
             14      service plan to employers and employees.
             15      Highlighted Provisions:
             16          This bill:
             17          .    defines terms;
             18          .    beginning January 1, 2008, requires health insurers to offer to employers a point of
             19      service plan;
             20          .    if an employer chooses a point of service plan, requires an insurer to inform
             21      employees of the point of service plan;
             22          .    permits an employer to pass the cost of a point of service plan on to the employee;
             23          .    establishes a reimbursement rate for noncontracted providers;
             24          .    establishes certain requirements for applying out-of-pocket expenses;
             25          .    prohibits an insurer from discriminating against a health care provider under



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             26
     contract with the insurer when the health care provider refers patients with a point of service
             27      plan out of network;
             28          .    requires the Insurance Department to report by November 2010 to the legislative
             29      Business and Labor Interim Committee concerning point of service plans in the
             30      state;
             31          .    coordinates requirements of the point of service plan with the preferred provider
             32      contract provisions; and
             33          .    makes technical changes.
             34      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             35          None
             36      Other Special Clauses:
             37          This bill coordinates with H.B. 163, Options for Health Care, by substantively and
             38      technically modifying language.
             39      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             40      AMENDS:
             41          31A-8-103, as last amended by Chapters 2 and 90, Laws of Utah 2004
             42      ENACTS:
             43          31A-22-635, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             44     

             45      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             46          Section 1. Section 31A-8-103 is amended to read:
             47           31A-8-103. Applicability to other provisions of law.
             48          (1) (a) Except for exemptions specifically granted under this title, an organization is
             49      subject to regulation under all of the provisions of this title.
             50          (b) Notwithstanding any provision of this title, an organization licensed under this
             51      chapter:
             52          (i) is wholly exempt from:
             53          (A) Chapter 7, Nonprofit Health Service Insurance Corporations;
             54          (B) Chapter 9, Insurance Fraternals;
             55          (C) Chapter 10, Annuities;
             56          (D) Chapter 11, Motor Clubs;



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             57
         (E) Chapter 12, State Risk Management Fund;
             58          (F) Chapter 13, Employee Welfare Funds and Plans;
             59          (G) Chapter 19a, Utah Rate Regulation Act; and
             60          (H) Chapter 28, Guaranty Associations; and
             61          (ii) is not subject to:
             62          (A) Chapter 3, Department Funding, Fees, and Taxes, except for Part 1;
             63          (B) Section 31A-4-107 ;
             64          (C) Chapter 5, Domestic Stock and Mutual Insurance Corporations, except for
             65      provisions specifically made applicable by this chapter;
             66          (D) Chapter 14, Foreign Insurers, except for provisions specifically made applicable by
             67      this chapter;
             68          (E) Chapter 17, Determination of Financial Condition, except:
             69          (I) Parts 2 and 6; or
             70          (II) as made applicable by the commissioner by rule consistent with this chapter;
             71          (F) Chapter 18, Investments, except as made applicable by the commissioner by rule
             72      consistent with this chapter; and
             73          (G) Chapter 22, Contracts in Specific Lines, except for Parts 6, 7, and 12.
             74          (2) The commissioner may by rule waive other specific provisions of this title that the
             75      commissioner considers inapplicable to health maintenance organizations or limited health
             76      plans, upon a finding that the waiver will not endanger the interests of:
             77          (a) enrollees;
             78          (b) investors; or
             79          (c) the public.
             80          (3) Title 16, Chapter 6a, Utah Revised Nonprofit Corporation Act, and Title 16,
             81      Chapter 10a, Utah Revised Business Corporation Act, do not apply to an organization except as
             82      specifically made applicable by:
             83          (a) this chapter;
             84          (b) a provision referenced under this chapter; or
             85          (c) a rule adopted by the commissioner to deal with corporate law issues of health
             86      maintenance organizations that are not settled under this chapter.
             87          (4) (a) Whenever in this chapter, Chapter 5, or Chapter 14 is made applicable to an



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             88
     organization, the application is:
             89          (i) of those provisions that apply to a mutual corporation if the organization is
             90      nonprofit; and
             91          (ii) of those that apply to a stock corporation if the organization is for profit.
             92          (b) When Chapter 5 or 14 is made applicable to an organization under this chapter,
             93      "mutual" means nonprofit organization.
             94          (5) Solicitation of enrollees by an organization is not a violation of any provision of
             95      law relating to solicitation or advertising by health professionals if that solicitation is made in
             96      accordance with:
             97          (a) this chapter; and
             98          (b) Chapter 23a, Insurance Marketing - Licensing Producers, Consultants, and
             99      Reinsurance Intermediaries.
             100          (6) This title does not prohibit any health maintenance organization from meeting the
             101      requirements of any federal law that enables the health maintenance organization to:
             102          (a) receive federal funds; or
             103          (b) obtain or maintain federal qualification status.
             104          (7) (a) Except as provided in Section 31A-8-501 , and Subsection (7)(b), an
             105      organization is exempt from statutes in this title or department rules that restrict or limit the
             106      organization's freedom of choice in contracting with or selecting health care providers,
             107      including Section 31A-22-618 .
             108          (b) An organization shall offer a point of service plan in compliance with Section
             109      31A-22-635 .
             110          (8) An organization is exempt from the assessment or payment of premium taxes
             111      imposed by Sections 59-9-101 through 59-9-104 .
             112          Section 2. Section 31A-22-635 is enacted to read:
             113          31A-22-635. Offer of point of service plan.
             114          (1) For purposes of this section:
             115          (a) "Class of health care provider" means all health care providers as defined in Section
             116      78-14-3 :
             117          (i) who are licensed or certified by the state under either:
             118          (A) Title 26, Chapter 21, Health Care Facility Licensing and Inspection Act; or



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             119
         (B) Title 58, Occupations and Professions; and
             120          (ii) who are within the same professional, trade, occupational, or facility licensure or
             121      certification category established pursuant to Title 26, Chapter 21, Health Care Facility
             122      Licensing and Inspection Act, and Title 58 Occupations and Professions.
             123          (b) "Covered health care services" or "covered services" means health care services
             124      which an enrollee is entitled to receive under the terms of the insurance contract.
             125          (c) "Employer" means an employer with 2 or more employees.
             126          (d) "Point of service plan" means a health insurance plan or rider to a health insurance
             127      plan under which the insurer will reimburse a health care provider for providing covered
             128      services to an insured, without regard to whether the health care provider is a participating
             129      provider or belongs to the health insurance plan network.
             130          (2) (a) This section applies to an insurer who is subject to:
             131          (i) Chapter 8, Health Maintenance Organizations and Limited Health Plans;
             132          (ii) Chapter 22, Part 6, Accident and Health Insurance;
             133          (iii) Chapter 30, Individual, Small Employer, and Group Health Insurance Act, to the
             134      extent required by Subsection (1)(b); and
             135          (iv) notwithstanding Section 31A-1-103 , Title 49, Chapter 20, Public Employees'
             136      Benefit and Insurance Program Act.
             137          (b) This section does not apply when an individual's health maintenance organization
             138      benefit plan or health insurance plan is a Medicaid program or the Children's Health Insurance
             139      Program under Title 26, Chapter 18, Medicaid Assistance Act.
             140          (3) (a) (i) Beginning with policies issued after or renewed after December 31, 2007, an
             141      insurer subject to Subsection (2)(a) shall offer at least one point of service plan in accordance
             142      with this section.
             143          (ii) (A) An insurer shall offer a point of service plan to every employer which would
             144      allow an enrollee to receive covered services from out-of-network health care providers
             145      without having to obtain a referral or prior authorization from the insurer.
             146          (B) An insurer shall provide each enrollee in a plan whose employer elects the point of
             147      service plan, with the opportunity, at the time of enrollment and during the open enrollment
             148      period, to enroll in the point of service plan. The insurer shall provide written notice of the
             149      point of service plan to each enrollee in a plan whose employer elects the point of service plan



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             150
     and shall include in that notice a detailed explanation of the financial costs to be incurred by an
             151      enrollee who selects that plan.
             152          (iii) The commissioner may audit any records necessary to determine compliance with
             153      this section.
             154          (iv) An employer may chose to pay any, all, or no part of additional cost that is
             155      associated with an employee's selection of a point of service plan.
             156          (b) The commissioner shall report to the Legislature's Business and Labor Interim
             157      Committee by November 1, 2010 concerning:
             158          (i) the number of point of service plans offered in the state; and
             159          (ii) the number of lives covered by point of service plans in the state.
             160          (c) A point of service plan required by this section shall pay for covered services
             161      provided by a nonparticipating provider as follows:
             162          (i) pay an amount equal to 75% of the average amount paid by the insurer for
             163      comparable services of participating providers who are members of the same class of health
             164      care provider;
             165          (ii) pay the provider directly for the services; and
             166          (iii) calculate and apply deductibles and cost sharing in accordance with Subsection
             167      (4).
             168          (4) (a) A point of service plan subject to this section:
             169          (i) may require an enrollee to pay the added costs associated with a point of service
             170      plan by paying:
             171          (A) higher deductibles; and
             172          (B) higher copayments or coinsurance; and
             173          (ii) may not require an enrollee to pay a separate deductible.
             174          (b) Copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles permitted by Subsection (4)(a):
             175          (i) must be actuarially based; and
             176          (ii) are subject to other limits established by the department by administrative rule
             177      adopted pursuant to Title 63, Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.
             178          (5) When an insured receives services from a nonparticipating provider who is
             179      reimbursed under the provisions of Subsection (3), the insured is responsible for:
             180          (a) any copayments or deductibles that are imposed by the insurer under Subsection



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Senate 2nd Reading Amendments 2-12-2007 rd/cjd
             181
     (4); and
             182          (b) in accordance with Subsection (6), the balance of provider charges that are not
             183      reimbursed by the insurer.
             184          (6) Notwithstanding any other section of this title, a S. non-participating .S provider
             184a      who accepts direct
             185      payment for health care services from an insurer may not S. :
    (a)
.S
collect from an insured an amount
             186      that exceeds the insurer's average reimbursement rate described in Subsection (3)(c)(i) unless
             187      the insured has been informed of and agreed to in writing, the specific cost of the service S. ; and
             187a          (b) refer an insured to a facility or service in which the nonparticipating provider has a
             187b      financial interest as described in Section 58-67-801, unless:
             187c          (i) the non-participating provider complies with the provisions of Section 58-67-801 by
             187d      disclosing the provider's relationship in writing to the patient; and
             187e          (ii) the non-participating provider obtains a written agreement from the insured
             187f      agreeing to the referral .S .
             188          (7) An insurer subject to this section may not discriminate against a health care
             189      provider based on a health care provider's referral patterns for patients who are covered by a
             190      point of service plan.
             191          (8) (a) Except as provided in this Subsection (8) and Section 31A-8-103 , an insurer
             192      regulated by Chapter 22, Part 6, Accident and Health Insurance, must comply with Section
             193      31A-22-617 .
             194          (b) When reimbursing under a point of service plan required by this section:
             195          (i) the reimbursement provisions of Subsection (3) of this section supercede the
             196      reimbursement provisions in Subsection 31A-22-617 (2)(b);
             197          (ii) the cost sharing provisions of Subsection (4) supercede Subsection
             198      31A-22-617 (2)(d); and
             199          (iii) the requirement for payment directly to the provider in Subsection (3)(c)(ii)
             200      supercedes Subsection 31A-22-617 (2)(c).
             201          (9) The department may require an insurer to submit information to the department to
             202      demonstrate compliance with this section.
             203          Section 3. Coordinating H.B. 163 with S.B. 66 -- Modifying substantive language.
             204          If this S.B. 66 and H.B. 163 Options for Health Care, both pass, it is the intent of the
             205      Legislature that the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel in preparing the Utah
             206      Code database for publication:


            
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Senate 3rd Reading Amendments 2-13-2007 rd/cjd
207
         (1) delete Subsection 31A-22-635 (8) in this bill, and renumber the remaining
             208      Subsection; and
             209          (2) amend Section 31A-22-617 by inserting a new a Subsection 31A-22-617 (10)(d) to
             210      read:
             211          "(d) An insurer shall offer at least one policy that complies with Section 31A-22-635."


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