Ohio § 1751.13

§ 1751.13.

(A)(1)(a) A health insuring corporation shall, either directly or indirectly, enter into contracts

for the provision of health care services with a sufficient number and types of providers

and health care facilities to ensure that all covered health care services will be

accessible to enrollees from a contracted provider or health care facility. (b) A health insuring corporation shall not refuse to contract with a physician for the

provision of health care services or refuse to recognize a physician as a specialist

on the basis that the physician attended an educational program or a residency program

approved or certified by the American osteopathic association.  A health insuring corporation shall not refuse to contract with a health care facility

for the provision of health care services on the basis that the health care facility

is certified or accredited by the American osteopathic association or that the health

care facility is an osteopathic hospital. (c) Nothing in division (A)(1)(b) of this section shall be construed to require a health

insuring corporation to make a benefit payment under a closed panel plan to a physician

or health care facility with which the health insuring corporation does not have a

contract, provided that none of the bases set forth in that division are used as a

reason for failing to make a benefit payment. (2) When a health insuring corporation is unable to provide a covered health care service

from a contracted provider or health care facility, the health insuring corporation

must provide that health care service from a noncontracted provider or health care

facility consistent with the terms of the enrollee's policy, contract, certificate,

or agreement.  The health insuring corporation shall either ensure that the health care service

be provided at no greater cost to the enrollee than if the enrollee had obtained the

health care service from a contracted provider or health care facility, or make other

arrangements acceptable to the superintendent of insurance. (3) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a health insuring corporation from entering

into contracts with out-of-state providers or health care facilities that are licensed,

certified, accredited, or otherwise authorized in that state. (B)(1) A health insuring corporation shall, either directly or indirectly, enter into contracts

with all providers and health care facilities through which health care services are

provided to its enrollees. (2) A health insuring corporation, upon written request, shall assist its contracted

providers in finding stop-loss or reinsurance carriers. (C) A health insuring corporation shall file an annual certificate with the superintendent

certifying that all provider contracts and contracts with health care facilities through

which health care services are being provided contain the following: (1) A description of the method by which the provider or health care facility will be

notified of the specific health care services for which the provider or health care

facility will be responsible, including any limitations or conditions on such services; (2) The specific hold harmless provision specifying protection of enrollees set forth

as follows: “[Provider/Health Care Facility] agrees that in no event, including but not limited

to nonpayment by the health insuring corporation, insolvency of the health insuring

corporation, or breach of this agreement, shall [Provider/Health Care Facility] bill,

charge, collect a deposit from, seek remuneration or reimbursement from, or have any

recourse against, a subscriber, enrollee, person to whom health care services have

been provided, or person acting on behalf of the covered enrollee, for health care

services provided pursuant to this agreement.  This does not prohibit [Provider/Health Care Facility] from collecting co-insurance,

deductibles, or copayments as specifically provided in the evidence of coverage, or

fees for uncovered health care services delivered on a fee-for-service basis to persons

referenced above, nor from any recourse against the health insuring corporation or

its successor.” (3) Provisions requiring the provider or health care facility to continue to provide

covered health care services to enrollees in the event of the health insuring corporation's

insolvency or discontinuance of operations.  The provisions shall require the provider or health care facility to continue to

provide covered health care services to enrollees as needed to complete any medically

necessary procedures commenced but unfinished at the time of the health insuring corporation's

insolvency or discontinuance of operations.  The completion of a medically necessary procedure shall include the rendering of

all covered health care services that constitute medically necessary follow-up care

for that procedure.  If an enrollee is receiving necessary inpatient care at a hospital, the provisions

may limit the required provision of covered health care services relating to that

inpatient care in accordance with division (D)(3) of section 1751.11 of the Revised Code , and may also limit such required provision of covered health care services to the

period ending thirty days after the health insuring corporation's insolvency or discontinuance

of operations. The provisions required by division (C)(3) of this section shall not require any provider

or health care facility to continue to provide any covered health care service after

the occurrence of any of the following: (a) The end of the thirty-day period following the entry of a liquidation order under

Chapter 3903. of the Revised Code; (b) The end of the enrollee's period of coverage for a contractual prepayment or premium; (c) The enrollee obtains equivalent coverage with another health insuring corporation

or insurer, or the enrollee's employer obtains such coverage for the enrollee; (d) The enrollee or the enrollee's employer terminates coverage under the contract; (e) A liquidator effects a transfer of the health insuring corporation's obligations

under the contract under division (A)(8) of section 3903.21 of the Revised Code . (4) A provision clearly stating the rights and responsibilities of the health insuring

corporation, and of the contracted providers and health care facilities, with respect

to administrative policies and programs, including, but not limited to, payments systems,

utilization review, quality assurance, assessment, and improvement programs, credentialing,

confidentiality requirements, and any applicable federal or state programs; (5) A provision regarding the availability and confidentiality of those health records

maintained by providers and health care facilities to monitor and evaluate the quality

of care, to conduct evaluations and audits, and to determine on a concurrent or retrospective

basis the necessity of and appropriateness of health care services provided to enrollees.  The provision shall include terms requiring the provider or health care facility

to make these health records available to appropriate state and federal authorities

involved in assessing the quality of care or in investigating the grievances or complaints

of enrollees, and requiring the provider or health care facility to comply with applicable

state and federal laws related to the confidentiality of medical or health records. (6) A provision that states that contractual rights and responsibilities may not be assigned

or delegated by the provider or health care facility without the prior written consent

of the health insuring corporation; (7) A provision requiring the provider or health care facility to maintain adequate professional

liability and malpractice insurance.  The provision shall also require the provider or health care facility to notify

the health insuring corporation not more than ten days after the provider's or health

care facility's receipt of notice of any reduction or cancellation of such coverage. (8) A provision requiring the provider or health care facility to observe, protect, and

promote the rights of enrollees as patients; (9) A provision requiring the provider or health care facility to provide health care

services without discrimination on the basis of a patient's participation in the health

care plan, age, sex, ethnicity, religion, sexual preference, health status, or disability,

and without regard to the source of payments made for health care services rendered

to a patient.  This requirement shall not apply to circumstances when the provider or health care

facility appropriately does not render services due to limitations arising from the

provider's or health care facility's lack of training, experience, or skill, or due

to licensing restrictions. (10) A provision containing the specifics of any obligation on the primary care provider

to provide, or to arrange for the provision of, covered health care services twenty-four

hours per day, seven days per week; (11) A provision setting forth procedures for the resolution of disputes arising out of

the contract; (12) A provision stating that the hold harmless provision required by division (C)(2)

of this section shall survive the termination of the contract with respect to services

covered and provided under the contract during the time the contract was in effect,

regardless of the reason for the termination, including the insolvency of the health

insuring corporation; (13) A provision requiring those terms that are used in the contract and that are defined

by this chapter, be used in the contract in a manner consistent with those definitions. This division does not apply to the coverage of beneficiaries enrolled in medicare

pursuant to a medicare risk contract or medicare cost contract, or to the coverage

of beneficiaries enrolled in the federal employee health benefits program pursuant

to 5 U.S.C.A. 8905 , or to the coverage of medicaid recipients, or to the coverage of beneficiaries under

any federal health care program regulated by a federal regulatory body, or to the

coverage of beneficiaries under any contract covering officers or employees of the

state that has been entered into by the department of administrative services. (D)(1) No health insuring corporation contract with a provider or health care facility shall

contain any of the following: (a) A provision that directly or indirectly offers an inducement to the provider or health

care facility to reduce or limit medically necessary health care services to a covered

enrollee; (b) A provision that penalizes a provider or health care facility that assists an enrollee

to seek a reconsideration of the health insuring corporation's decision to deny or

limit benefits to the enrollee; (c) A provision that limits or otherwise restricts the provider's or health care facility's

ethical and legal responsibility to fully advise enrollees about their medical condition

and about medically appropriate treatment options; (d) A provision that penalizes a provider or health care facility for principally advocating

for medically necessary health care services; (e) A provision that penalizes a provider or health care facility for providing information

or testimony to a legislative or regulatory body or agency.  This shall not be construed to prohibit a health insuring corporation from penalizing

a provider or health care facility that provides information or testimony that is

libelous or slanderous or that discloses trade secrets which the provider or health

care facility has no privilege or permission to disclose. (f) A provision that violates Chapter 3963. of the Revised Code. (2) Nothing in this division shall be construed to prohibit a health insuring corporation

from doing either of the following: (a) Making a determination not to reimburse or pay for a particular medical treatment

or other health care service; (b) Enforcing reasonable peer review or utilization review protocols, or determining

whether a particular provider or health care facility has complied with these protocols. (E) Any contract between a health insuring corporation and an intermediary organization

shall clearly specify that the health insuring corporation must approve or disapprove

the participation of any provider or health care facility with which the intermediary

organization contracts. (F) If an intermediary organization that is not a health delivery network contracting

solely with self-insured employers subcontracts with a provider or health care facility,

the subcontract with the provider or health care facility shall do all of the following: (1) Contain the provisions required by divisions (C) and (G) of this section, as made

applicable to an intermediary organization, without the inclusion of inducements or

penalties described in division (D) of this section; (2) Acknowledge that the health insuring corporation is a third-party beneficiary to

the agreement; (3) Acknowledge the health insuring corporation's role in approving the participation

of the provider or health care facility, pursuant to division (E) of this section. (G) Any provider contract or contract with a health care facility shall clearly specify

the health insuring corporation's statutory responsibility to monitor and oversee

the offering of covered health care services to its enrollees. (H)(1) A health insuring corporation shall maintain its provider contracts and its contracts

with health care facilities at one or more of its places of business in this state,

and shall provide copies of these contracts to facilitate regulatory review upon written

notice by the superintendent of insurance. (2) Any contract with an intermediary organization that accepts compensation shall include

provisions requiring the intermediary organization to provide the superintendent with

regulatory access to all books, records, financial information, and documents related

to the provision of health care services to subscribers and enrollees under the contract.  The contract shall require the intermediary organization to maintain such books,

records, financial information, and documents at its principal place of business in

this state and to preserve them for at least three years in a manner that facilitates

regulatory review. (I)(1) A health insuring corporation shall notify its affected enrollees of the termination

of a contract for the provision of health care services between the health insuring

corporation and a primary care physician or hospital, by mail, within thirty days

after the termination of the contract. (a) Notice shall be given to subscribers of the termination of a contract with a primary

care physician if the subscriber, or a dependent covered under the subscriber's health

care coverage, has received health care services from the primary care physician within

the previous twelve months or if the subscriber or dependent has selected the physician

as the subscriber's or dependent's primary care physician within the previous twelve

months. (b) Notice shall be given to subscribers of the termination of a contract with a hospital

if the subscriber, or a dependent covered under the subscriber's health care coverage,

has received health care services from that hospital within the previous twelve months. (2) The health insuring corporation shall pay, in accordance with the terms of the contract,

for all covered health care services rendered to an enrollee by a primary care physician

or hospital between the date of the termination of the contract and five days after

the notification of the contract termination is mailed to a subscriber at the subscriber's

last known address. (J) Divisions (A) and (B) of this section do not apply to any health insuring corporation

that, on June 4, 1997, holds a certificate of authority or license to operate under

Chapter 1740. of the Revised Code. (K) Nothing in this section shall restrict the governing body of a hospital from exercising

the authority granted it pursuant to section 3701.351 of the Revised Code .