August 06, 2019
On July 17, 2019, Gov. Carney signed HB 146 into law. The new law makes three changes to the relationship between health insurers and health care providers in an effort to make the process of claim submissions and payments more efficient.
First, health insurers must accept electronic claim submissions from non-pharmacy health care providers regardless of network status. Additionally, the insurer must electronically acknowledge the claim within two business days after submission.
Secondly, an insurer may not request medical records related to post-claim adjudication audits in more than 400 instances during a 45 day period per health care provider.
The third provision is the most relevant for group health plan sponsors and participants; an insurer must permit health care providers, regardless of network status, at least 180 days to submit a claim from the date of service. Any contract that imposes a shorter time frame for health care provider submission shall be revised by the insurer.
The effective date of these provisions is January 13, 2020. Although the changes do not require anything of employers, fully-insured plan sponsors should be mindful of these changes in how insurers will have to adjudicate claims.
HB 146 »