Chapter 1751 | Health Insuring Corporation Law

Section 1751.01 | Health insuring corporation law definitions.

• Effective: April 11, 2021
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 276 - 133rd General Assembly

As used in this chapter:

(A)(1) "Basic health care services" means the following services when medically necessary:

(a) Physician's services, except when such services are supplemental under division (B) of this section;

(b) Inpatient hospital services;

(c) Outpatient medical services;

(d) Emergency health services;

(e) Urgent care services;

(f) Diagnostic laboratory services and diagnostic and therapeutic radiologic services;

(g) Diagnostic and treatment services, other than prescription drug services, for biologically based mental illnesses;

(h) Preventive health care services, including, but not limited to, voluntary family planning services, infertility services, periodic physical examinations, prenatal obstetrical care, and well-child care;

(i) Routine patient care for patients enrolled in an eligible cancer clinical trial pursuant to section 3923.80 of the Revised Code.

"Basic health care services" does not include experimental procedures.

Except as provided by divisions (A)(2) and (3) of this section in connection with the offering of coverage for diagnostic and treatment services for biologically based mental illnesses, a health insuring corporation shall not offer coverage for a health care service, defined as a basic health care service by this division, unless it offers coverage for all listed basic health care services. However, this requirement does not apply to the coverage of beneficiaries enrolled in medicare pursuant to a medicare 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.

(2) A health insuring corporation may offer coverage for diagnostic and treatment services for biologically based mental illnesses without offering coverage for all other basic health care services. A health insuring corporation may offer coverage for diagnostic and treatment services for biologically based mental illnesses alone or in combination with one or more supplemental health care services. However, a health insuring corporation that offers coverage for any other basic health care service shall offer coverage for diagnostic and treatment services for biologically based mental illnesses in combination with the offer of coverage for all other listed basic health care services.

(3) A health insuring corporation that offers coverage for basic health care services is not required to offer coverage for diagnostic and treatment services for biologically based mental illnesses in combination with the offer of coverage for all other listed basic health care services if all of the following apply:

(a) The health insuring corporation submits documentation certified by an independent member of the American academy of actuaries to the superintendent of insurance showing that incurred claims for diagnostic and treatment services for biologically based mental illnesses for a period of at least six months independently caused the health insuring corporation's costs for claims and administrative expenses for the coverage of basic health care services to increase by more than one per cent per year.

(b) The health insuring corporation submits a signed letter from an independent member of the American academy of actuaries to the superintendent of insurance opining that the increase in costs described in division (A)(3)(a) of this section could reasonably justify an increase of more than one per cent in the annual premiums or rates charged by the health insuring corporation for the coverage of basic health care services.

(c) The superintendent of insurance makes the following determinations from the documentation and opinion submitted pursuant to divisions (A)(3)(a) and (b) of this section:

(i) Incurred claims for diagnostic and treatment services for biologically based mental illnesses for a period of at least six months independently caused the health insuring corporation's costs for claims and administrative expenses for the coverage of basic health care services to increase by more than one per cent per year.

(ii) The increase in costs reasonably justifies an increase of more than one per cent in the annual premiums or rates charged by the health insuring corporation for the coverage of basic health care services.

Any determination made by the superintendent under this division is subject to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

(B)(1) "Supplemental health care services" means any health care services other than basic health care services that a health insuring corporation may offer, alone or in combination with either basic health care services or other supplemental health care services, and includes:

(a) Services of facilities for intermediate or long-term care, or both;

(b) Dental care services;

(c) Vision care and optometric services including lenses and frames;

(d) Podiatric care or foot care services;

(e) Mental health services, excluding diagnostic and treatment services for biologically based mental illnesses;

(f) Short-term outpatient evaluative and crisis-intervention mental health services;

(g) Medical or psychological treatment and referral services for alcohol and drug abuse or addiction;

(h) Home health services;

(i) Prescription drug services;

(j) Nursing services;

(k) Services of a dietitian licensed under Chapter 4759. of the Revised Code;

(l) Physical therapy services;

(m) Chiropractic services;

(n) Any other category of services approved by the superintendent of insurance.

(2) If a health insuring corporation offers prescription drug services under this division, the coverage shall include prescription drug services for the treatment of biologically based mental illnesses on the same terms and conditions as other physical diseases and disorders.

(C) "Specialty health care services" means one of the supplemental health care services listed in division (B) of this section, when provided by a health insuring corporation on an outpatient-only basis and not in combination with other supplemental health care services.

(D) "Biologically based mental illnesses" means schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, paranoia and other psychotic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic disorder, as these terms are defined in the most recent edition of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders published by the American psychiatric association.

(E) "Closed panel plan" means a health care plan that requires enrollees to use participating providers.

(F) "Compensation" means remuneration for the provision of health care services, determined on other than a fee-for-service or discounted-fee-for-service basis.

(G) "Contractual periodic prepayment" means the formula for determining the premium rate for all subscribers of a health insuring corporation.

(H) "Corporation" means a corporation formed under Chapter 1701. or 1702. of the Revised Code or the similar laws of another state.

(I) "Emergency health services" means those health care services that must be available on a seven-days-per-week, twenty-four-hours-per-day basis in order to prevent jeopardy to an enrollee's health status that would occur if such services were not received as soon as possible, and includes, where appropriate, provisions for transportation and indemnity payments or service agreements for out-of-area coverage.

(J) "Enrollee" means any natural person who is entitled to receive health care benefits provided by a health insuring corporation.

(K) "Evidence of coverage" means any certificate, agreement, policy, or contract issued to a subscriber that sets out the coverage and other rights to which such person is entitled under a health care plan.

(L) "Health care facility" means any facility, except a health care practitioner's office, that provides preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, acute convalescent, rehabilitation, mental health, intellectual disability, intermediate care, or skilled nursing services.

(M) "Health care services" means basic, supplemental, and specialty health care services.

(N) "Health delivery network" means any group of providers or health care facilities, or both, or any representative thereof, that have entered into an agreement to offer health care services in a panel rather than on an individual basis.

(O) "Health insuring corporation" means a corporation, as defined in division (H) of this section, that, pursuant to a policy, contract, certificate, or agreement, pays for, reimburses, or provides, delivers, arranges for, or otherwise makes available, basic health care services, supplemental health care services, or specialty health care services, or a combination of basic health care services and either supplemental health care services or specialty health care services, through either an open panel plan or a closed panel plan.

"Health insuring corporation" does not include a limited liability company formed pursuant to Chapter 1705. or 1706. of the Revised Code, an insurer licensed under Title XXXIX of the Revised Code if that insurer offers only open panel plans under which all providers and health care facilities participating receive their compensation directly from the insurer, a corporation formed by or on behalf of a political subdivision or a department, office, or institution of the state, or a public entity formed by or on behalf of a board of county commissioners, a county board of developmental disabilities, an alcohol and drug addiction services board, a board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services, or a community mental health board, as those terms are used in Chapters 340. and 5126. of the Revised Code. Except as provided by division (D) of section 1751.02 of the Revised Code, or as otherwise provided by law, no board, commission, agency, or other entity under the control of a political subdivision may accept insurance risk in providing for health care services. However, nothing in this division shall be construed as prohibiting such entities from purchasing the services of a health insuring corporation or a third-party administrator licensed under Chapter 3959. of the Revised Code.

(P) "Intermediary organization" means a health delivery network or other entity that contracts with licensed health insuring corporations or self-insured employers, or both, to provide health care services, and that enters into contractual arrangements with other entities for the provision of health care services for the purpose of fulfilling the terms of its contracts with the health insuring corporations and self-insured employers.

(Q) "Intermediate care" means residential care above the level of room and board for patients who require personal assistance and health-related services, but who do not require skilled nursing care.

(R) "Medical record" means the personal information that relates to an individual's physical or mental condition, medical history, or medical treatment.

(S)(1) "Open panel plan" means a health care plan that provides incentives for enrollees to use participating providers and that also allows enrollees to use providers that are not participating providers.

(2) No health insuring corporation may offer an open panel plan, unless the health insuring corporation is also licensed as an insurer under Title XXXIX of the Revised Code, the health insuring corporation, on June 4, 1997, holds a certificate of authority or license to operate under Chapter 1736. or 1740. of the Revised Code, or an insurer licensed under Title XXXIX of the Revised Code is responsible for the out-of-network risk as evidenced by both an evidence of coverage filing under section 1751.11 of the Revised Code and a policy and certificate filing under section 3923.02 of the Revised Code.

(T) "Osteopathic hospital" means a hospital registered under section 3701.07 of the Revised Code that advocates osteopathic principles and the practice and perpetuation of osteopathic medicine by doing any of the following:

(1) Maintaining a department or service of osteopathic medicine or a committee on the utilization of osteopathic principles and methods, under the supervision of an osteopathic physician;

(2) Maintaining an active medical staff, the majority of which is comprised of osteopathic physicians;

(3) Maintaining a medical staff executive committee that has osteopathic physicians as a majority of its members.

(U) "Panel" means a group of providers or health care facilities that have joined together to deliver health care services through a contractual arrangement with a health insuring corporation, employer group, or other payor.

(V) "Person" has the same meaning as in section 1.59 of the Revised Code, and, unless the context otherwise requires, includes any insurance company holding a certificate of authority under Title XXXIX of the Revised Code, any subsidiary and affiliate of an insurance company, and any government agency.

(W) "Premium rate" means any set fee regularly paid by a subscriber to a health insuring corporation. A "premium rate" does not include a one-time membership fee, an annual administrative fee, or a nominal access fee, paid to a managed health care system under which the recipient of health care services remains solely responsible for any charges accessed for those services by the provider or health care facility.

(X) "Primary care provider" means a provider that is designated by a health insuring corporation to supervise, coordinate, or provide initial care or continuing care to an enrollee, and that may be required by the health insuring corporation to initiate a referral for specialty care and to maintain supervision of the health care services rendered to the enrollee.

(Y) "Provider" means any natural person or partnership of natural persons who are licensed, certified, accredited, or otherwise authorized in this state to furnish health care services, or any professional association organized under Chapter 1785. of the Revised Code, provided that nothing in this chapter or other provisions of law shall be construed to preclude a health insuring corporation, health care practitioner, or organized health care group associated with a health insuring corporation from employing certified nurse practitioners, certified nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse-midwives, pharmacists, dietitians, physician assistants, dental assistants, dental hygienists, optometric technicians, or other allied health personnel who are licensed, certified, accredited, or otherwise authorized in this state to furnish health care services.

(Z) "Provider sponsored organization" means a corporation, as defined in division (H) of this section, that is at least eighty per cent owned or controlled by one or more hospitals, as defined in section 3727.01 of the Revised Code, or one or more physicians licensed to practice medicine or surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery under Chapter 4731. of the Revised Code, or any combination of such physicians and hospitals. Such control is presumed to exist if at least eighty per cent of the voting rights or governance rights of a provider sponsored organization are directly or indirectly owned, controlled, or otherwise held by any combination of the physicians and hospitals described in this division.

(AA) "Solicitation document" means the written materials provided to prospective subscribers or enrollees, or both, and used for advertising and marketing to induce enrollment in the health care plans of a health insuring corporation.

(BB) "Subscriber" means a person who is responsible for making payments to a health insuring corporation for participation in a health care plan, or an enrollee whose employment or other status is the basis of eligibility for enrollment in a health insuring corporation.

(CC) "Urgent care services" means those health care services that are appropriately provided for an unforeseen condition of a kind that usually requires medical attention without delay but that does not pose a threat to the life, limb, or permanent health of the injured or ill person, and may include such health care services provided out of the health insuring corporation's approved service area pursuant to indemnity payments or service agreements.

Last updated September 10, 2021 at 9:31 AM

Section 1751.02 | Applying for certificate of authority.

• Effective: September 10, 2012
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 487 - 129th General Assembly

(A) Notwithstanding any law in this state to the contrary, any corporation, as defined in section 1751.01 of the Revised Code, may apply to the superintendent of insurance for a certificate of authority to establish and operate a health insuring corporation. If the corporation applying for a certificate of authority is a foreign corporation domiciled in a state without laws similar to those of this chapter, the corporation must form a domestic corporation to apply for, obtain, and maintain a certificate of authority under this chapter.

(B) No person shall establish, operate, or perform the services of a health insuring corporation in this state without obtaining a certificate of authority under this chapter.

(C) Except as provided by division (D) of this section, no political subdivision or department, office, or institution of this state, or corporation formed by or on behalf of any political subdivision or department, office, or institution of this state, shall establish, operate, or perform the services of a health insuring corporation. Nothing in this section shall be construed to preclude a board of county commissioners, a county board of developmental disabilities, an alcohol and drug addiction services board, a board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services, or a community mental health board, or a public entity formed by or on behalf of any of these boards, from using managed care techniques in carrying out the board's or public entity's duties pursuant to the requirements of Chapters 307., 329., 340., and 5126. of the Revised Code. However, no such board or public entity may operate so as to compete in the private sector with health insuring corporations holding certificates of authority under this chapter.

(D) A corporation formed by or on behalf of a publicly owned, operated, or funded hospital or health care facility may apply to the superintendent for a certificate of authority under division (A) of this section to establish and operate a health insuring corporation.

(E) A health insuring corporation shall operate in this state in compliance with this chapter and Chapter 1753. of the Revised Code and shall operate in conformity with its filings with the superintendent under this chapter, including filings made pursuant to sections 1751.03, 1751.11, 1751.12, and 1751.31 of the Revised Code.

(F) An insurer licensed under Title XXXIX of the Revised Code need not obtain a certificate of authority as a health insuring corporation to offer an open panel plan as long as the providers and health care facilities participating in the open panel plan receive their compensation directly from the insurer. If the providers and health care facilities participating in the open panel plan receive their compensation from any person other than the insurer, or if the insurer offers a closed panel plan, the insurer must obtain a certificate of authority as a health insuring corporation.

(G) An intermediary organization need not obtain a certificate of authority as a health insuring corporation, regardless of the method of reimbursement to the intermediary organization, as long as a health insuring corporation or a self-insured employer maintains the ultimate responsibility to assure delivery of all health care services required by the contract between the health insuring corporation and the subscriber and the laws of this state or between the self-insured employer and its employees.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to require any health care facility, provider, health delivery network, or intermediary organization that contracts with a health insuring corporation or self-insured employer, regardless of the method of reimbursement to the health care facility, provider, health delivery network, or intermediary organization, to obtain a certificate of authority as a health insuring corporation under this chapter, unless otherwise provided, in the case of contracts with a self-insured employer, by operation of the "Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974," 88 Stat. 829, 29 U.S.C.A. 1001, as amended.

(H) Any health delivery network doing business in this state, including any health delivery network that is functioning as an intermediary organization doing business in this state, that is not required to obtain a certificate of authority under this chapter shall certify to the superintendent annually, not later than the first day of July, and shall provide a statement signed by the highest ranking official which includes the following information:

(1) The health delivery network's full name and the address of its principal place of business;

(2) A statement that the health delivery network is not required to obtain a certificate of authority under this chapter to conduct its business.

(I) The superintendent shall not issue a certificate of authority to a health insuring corporation that is a provider sponsored organization unless all health care plans to be offered by the health insuring corporation provide basic health care services. Substantially all of the physicians and hospitals with ownership or control of the provider sponsored organization, as defined in section 1751.01 of the Revised Code, shall also be participating providers for the provision of basic health care services for health care plans offered by the provider sponsored organization. If a health insuring corporation that is a provider sponsored organization offers health care plans that do not provide basic health care services, the health insuring corporation shall be deemed, for purposes of section 1751.35 of the Revised Code, to have failed to substantially comply with this chapter.

Except as specifically provided in this division and in division (A) of section 1751.28 of the Revised Code, the provisions of this chapter shall apply to all health insuring corporations that are provider sponsored organizations in the same manner that these provisions apply to all health insuring corporations that are not provider sponsored organizations.

(J) Nothing in this section shall be construed to apply to any multiple employer welfare arrangement operating pursuant to Chapter 1739. of the Revised Code.

(K) Any person who violates division (B) of this section, and any health delivery network that fails to comply with division (H) of this section, is subject to the penalties set forth in section 1751.45 of the Revised Code.

Section 1751.03 | Verification of application.

• Effective: May 20, 2014
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 98 - 130th General Assembly

(A) Each application for a certificate of authority under this chapter shall be verified by an officer or authorized representative of the applicant, shall be in a format prescribed by the superintendent of insurance, and shall set forth or be accompanied by the following:

(1) A certified copy of the applicant's articles of incorporation and all amendments to the articles of incorporation;

(2) A copy of any regulations adopted for the government of the corporation, any bylaws, and any similar documents, and a copy of all amendments to these regulations, bylaws, and documents. The corporate secretary shall certify that these regulations, bylaws, documents, and amendments have been properly adopted or approved.

(3) A list of the names, addresses, and official positions of the persons responsible for the conduct of the applicant, including all members of the board, the principal officers, and the person responsible for completing or filing financial statements with the department of insurance, accompanied by a completed original biographical affidavit and release of information for each of these persons on forms acceptable to the department;

(4) A full and complete disclosure of the extent and nature of any contractual or other financial arrangement between the applicant and any provider or a person listed in division (A)(3) of this section, including, but not limited to, a full and complete disclosure of the financial interest held by any such provider or person in any health care facility, provider, or insurer that has entered into a financial relationship with the health insuring corporation;

(5) A description of the applicant, its facilities, and its personnel, including, but not limited to, the location, hours of operation, and telephone numbers of all contracted facilities;

(6) The applicant's projected annual enrollee population over a three-year period;

(7) A clear and specific description of the health care plan or plans to be used by the applicant, including a description of the proposed providers, procedures for accessing care, and the form of all proposed and existing contracts relating to the administration, delivery, or financing of health care services;

(8) A copy of each type of evidence of coverage and identification card or similar document to be issued to subscribers;

(9) A copy of each type of individual or group policy, contract, or agreement to be used;

(10) The schedule of the proposed contractual periodic prepayments or premium rates, or both, accompanied by appropriate supporting data;

(11) A financial plan which provides a three-year projection of operating results, including the projected expenses, income, and sources of working capital;

(12) The enrollee complaint procedure to be utilized as required under section 1751.19 of the Revised Code;

(13) A description of the procedures and programs to be implemented on an ongoing basis to assure the quality of health care services delivered to enrollees, including, if applicable, a description of a quality assurance program complying with the requirements of sections 1751.73 to 1751.75 of the Revised Code;

(14) A statement describing the geographic area or areas to be served, by county;

(15) A copy of all solicitation documents;

(16) A balance sheet and other financial statements showing the applicant's assets, liabilities, income, and other sources of financial support;

(17) A description of the nature and extent of any reinsurance program to be implemented, and a demonstration that errors and omission insurance and, if appropriate, fidelity insurance, will be in place upon the applicant's receipt of a certificate of authority;

(18) Copies of all proposed or in force related-party or intercompany agreements with an explanation of the financial impact of these agreements on the applicant. If the applicant intends to enter into a contract for managerial or administrative services, with either an affiliated or an unaffiliated person, the applicant shall provide a copy of the contract and a detailed description of the person to provide these services. The description shall include that person's experience in managing or administering health care plans, a copy of that person's most recent audited financial statement, and a completed biographical affidavit on a form acceptable to the superintendent for each of that person's principal officers and board members and for any additional employee to be directly involved in providing managerial or administrative services to the health insuring corporation. If the person to provide managerial or administrative services is affiliated with the health insuring corporation, the contract must provide for payment for services based on actual costs.

(19) A statement from the applicant's board that the admitted assets of the applicant have not been and will not be pledged or hypothecated;

(20) A statement from the applicant's board that the applicant will submit monthly financial statements during the first year of operations;

(21) The name and address of the applicant's Ohio statutory agent for service of process, notice, or demand;

(22) Copies of all documents the applicant filed with the secretary of state;

(23) The location of those books and records of the applicant that must be maintained, which books and records shall be maintained in Ohio if the applicant is a domestic corporation, and which may be maintained either in the applicant's state of domicile or in Ohio if the applicant is a foreign corporation;

(24) The applicant's federal identification number, corporate address, and mailing address;

(25) An internal and external organizational chart;

(26) A list of the assets representing the initial net worth of the applicant;

(27) If the applicant has a parent company, the parent company's guaranty, on a form acceptable to the superintendent, that the applicant will maintain Ohio's minimum net worth. If no parent company exists, a statement regarding the availability of future funds if needed.

(28) The names and addresses of the applicant's actuary and external auditors;

(29) If the applicant is a foreign corporation, a copy of the most recent financial statements filed with the insurance regulatory agency in the applicant's state of domicile;

(30) If the applicant is a foreign corporation, a statement from the insurance regulatory agency of the applicant's state of domicile stating that the regulatory agency has no objection to the applicant applying for an Ohio license and that the applicant is in good standing in the applicant's state of domicile;

(31) Any other information that the superintendent may require;

(32) Documentation acceptable to the superintendent of the bond or securities required by section 1751.271 of the Revised Code.

(B)(1) A health insuring corporation, unless otherwise provided for in this chapter or in section 3901.321 of the Revised Code, shall file a timely notice with the superintendent describing any change to the corporation's articles of incorporation or regulations, or any major modification to its operations as set out in the information required by division (A) of this section that affects any of the following:

(a) The solvency of the health insuring corporation;

(b) The health insuring corporation's continued provision of services that it has contracted to provide;

(c) The manner in which the health insuring corporation conducts its business.

(2) If the change or modification is to be the result of an action to be taken by the health insuring corporation, the notice shall be filed with the superintendent prior to the health insuring corporation taking the action. The action shall be deemed approved if the superintendent does not disapprove it within sixty days of filing.

(3) The filing of a notice pursuant to division (B)(1) or (2) of this section shall also serve as the submission of a notice when required for the superintendent's review for purposes of section 3901.341 of the Revised Code, if the notice contains all of the information that section 3901.341 of the Revised Code requires for such submissions and a copy of any written agreement. The filing of such a notice, for the purpose of satisfying this division and section 3901.341 of the Revised Code, shall be subject to the sixty-day review period of division (B)(2) of this section.

(C)(1) No health insuring corporation shall expand its approved service area until a copy of the request for expansion, accompanied by documentation of the network of providers, forms of all proposed or existing provider contracts relating to the delivery of health care services, a schedule of proposed contractual periodic prepayments and premium rates for group contracts accompanied by appropriate supporting data, enrollment projections, plan of operation, and any other changes have been filed with the superintendent.

(2) Within seventy-five days after the superintendent's receipt of a complete filing under division (C)(1) of this section, the superintendent shall determine whether the plan for expansion is lawful, fair, and reasonable.

If the superintendent has not approved or disapproved all or a portion of a service area expansion within the seventy-five-day period, the filing shall be deemed approved.

(3) Disapproval of all or a portion of the filing shall be effected by written notice, which shall state the grounds for the order of disapproval and shall be given in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

(D) The agent named under division (A)(21) of this section shall be one of the following:

(1) A natural person who is a resident of this state;

(2) A domestic or foreign corporation, nonprofit corporation, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, limited partnership association, professional association, business trust, or unincorporated nonprofit association that has a business address in this state. If the agent is an entity other than a domestic corporation, the agent shall meet the requirements of Title XVII of the Revised Code for an entity of the agent's type to transact business or exercise privileges in this state.

Section 1751.04 | Review of application and documents by superintendent.

• Effective: March 21, 2017
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 505 - 131st General Assembly

(A) Except as provided by division (D) of this section, upon the receipt by the superintendent of insurance of a complete application for a certificate of authority to establish or operate a health insuring corporation, which application sets forth or is accompanied by the information and documents required by division (A) of section 1751.03 of the Revised Code, the superintendent shall review the application and accompanying documents and make findings as to whether the applicant for a certificate of authority has done all of the following with respect to any basic health care services and supplemental health care services to be furnished:

(1) Demonstrated the willingness and potential ability to ensure that all basic health care services and supplemental health care services described in the evidence of coverage will be provided to all its enrollees as promptly as is appropriate and in a manner that assures continuity;

(2) Made effective arrangements to ensure that its enrollees have reliable access to qualified providers in those specialties that are generally available in the geographic area or areas to be served by the applicant and that are necessary to provide all basic health care services and supplemental health care services described in the evidence of coverage;

(3) Made appropriate arrangements for the availability of short-term health care services in emergencies within the geographic area or areas to be served by the applicant, twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week, and for the provision of adequate coverage whenever an out-of-area emergency arises;

(4) Made appropriate arrangements for an ongoing evaluation and assurance of the quality of health care services provided to enrollees, including, if applicable, the development of a quality assurance program complying with the requirements of sections 1751.73 to 1751.75 of the Revised Code, and the adequacy of the personnel, facilities, and equipment by or through which the services are rendered;

(5) Developed a procedure to gather and report statistics relating to the cost and effectiveness of its operations, the pattern of utilization of its services, and the quality, availability, and accessibility of its services.

(B) Based upon the information provided in the application for issuance of a certificate of authority, the superintendent shall determine whether or not the applicant meets the requirements of division (A) of this section. If the superintendent determines that the applicant does not meet these requirements, the superintendent shall specify in what respects it is deficient. However, the superintendent shall not deny an application because the requirements of this section are not met unless the applicant has been given an opportunity for a hearing on that issue.

(C) If the applicant requests a hearing, the superintendent shall hold a hearing before denying an application because the applicant does not meet the requirements of this section. The hearing shall be held in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

(D) Nothing in this section requires the superintendent to review or make findings with regard to an application and accompanying documents to establish or operate any of the following:

(1) A health insuring corporation to cover solely medicaid recipients;

(2) A health insuring corporation to cover solely medicare beneficiaries;

(3) A health insuring corporation to cover solely medicaid recipients and medicare beneficiaries;

(4) A health insuring corporation to cover solely federal employees and other individuals eligible for coverage in the federal employees health benefits program pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 8905.

Section 1751.05 | Issuance or denial of certificate of authority.

• Effective: October 16, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 128th General Assembly

(A) The superintendent of insurance shall issue or deny a certificate of authority to a health insuring corporation filing an application pursuant to section 1751.03 of the Revised Code, one hundred thirty-five days from the superintendent's receipt of a complete application and accompanying documents.

(B) A certificate of authority shall be issued upon payment of the application fee prescribed in section 1751.44 of the Revised Code if the superintendent is satisfied that the following conditions are met:

(1) The persons responsible for the conduct of the affairs of the applicant are competent, trustworthy, and possess good reputations.

(2) The superintendent determines, in accordance with division (B) of section 1751.04 of the Revised Code, that the organization's proposed plan of operation meets the requirements of division (A) of that section.

(3) The applicant constitutes an appropriate mechanism to effectively provide or arrange for the provision of the basic health care services, supplemental health care services, or specialty health care services to be provided to enrollees.

(4) The applicant is financially responsible, complies with section 1751.28 of the Revised Code, and may reasonably be expected to meet its obligations to enrollees and prospective enrollees. In making this determination, the superintendent may consider:

(a) The financial soundness of the applicant's arrangements for health care services, including the applicant's proposed contractual periodic prepayments or premiums and the use of copayments and deductibles;

(b) The adequacy of working capital;

(c) Any agreement with an insurer, a government, or any other person for insuring the payment of the cost of health care services or providing for automatic applicability of an alternative coverage in the event of discontinuance of the health insuring corporation's operations;

(d) Any agreement with providers or health care facilities for the provision of health care services;

(e) Any deposit of securities submitted in accordance with section 1751.27 of the Revised Code as a guarantee that the obligations will be performed.

(5) The applicant has submitted documentation of an arrangement to provide health care services to its enrollees until the expiration of the enrollees' contracts with the applicant if a health care plan or the operations of the health insuring corporation are discontinued prior to the expiration of the enrollees' contracts. An arrangement to provide health care services may be made by using any one, or any combination, of the following methods:

(a) The maintenance of insolvency insurance;

(b) A provision in contracts with providers and health care facilities, but no health insuring corporation shall rely solely on such a provision for more than thirty days;

(c) An agreement with other health insuring corporations or insurers, providing enrollees with automatic conversion rights upon the discontinuation of a health care plan or the health insuring corporation's operations;

(d) Such other methods as approved by the superintendent.

(6) Nothing in the applicant's proposed method of operation, as shown by the information submitted pursuant to section 1751.03 of the Revised Code or by independent investigation, will cause harm to an enrollee or to the public at large, as determined by the superintendent.

(7) Any deficiencies identified by the superintendent under section 1751.04 of the Revised Code have been corrected.

(8) The applicant has deposited securities as set forth in section 1751.27 of the Revised Code.

(C) If an applicant elects to fulfill the requirements of division (B)(5) of this section through an agreement with other health insuring corporations or insurers, the agreement shall require those health insuring corporations or insurers to give thirty days' notice to the superintendent prior to cancellation or discontinuation of the agreement for any reason.

(D) A certificate of authority shall be denied only after compliance with the requirements of section 1751.36 of the Revised Code.

Section 1751.06 | Powers upon obtaining certificate.

• Effective: March 22, 1999
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 698 - 122nd General Assembly

Upon obtaining a certificate of authority as required under this chapter, a health insuring corporation may do all of the following:

(A) Enroll individuals and their dependents in either of the following circumstances:

(1) The individual resides or lives in the approved service area.

(2) The individual's place of employment is located in the approved service area.

(B) Contract with providers and health care facilities for the health care services to which enrollees are entitled under the terms of the health insuring corporation's health care contracts;

(C) Contract with insurance companies authorized to do business in this state for insurance, indemnity, or reimbursement against the cost of providing emergency and nonemergency health care services for enrollees, subject to the provisions set forth in this chapter and the limitations set forth in the Revised Code;

(D) Contract with any person pursuant to the requirements of division (A)(18) of section 1751.03 of the Revised Code for managerial or administrative services, or for data processing, actuarial analysis, billing services, or any other services authorized by the superintendent of insurance. However, a health insuring corporation shall not enter into a contract for any of the services listed in this division with an insurance company that is not authorized to engage in the business of insurance in this state.

(E) Accept from governmental agencies, private agencies, corporations, associations, groups, individuals, or other persons, payments covering all or part of the costs of planning, development, construction, and the provision of health care services;

(F) Purchase, lease, construct, renovate, operate, or maintain health care facilities, and their ancillary equipment, and any property necessary in the transaction of the business of the health insuring corporation;

(G) In the employer group market, impose an affiliation period of not more than sixty days, or for late enrollees an affiliation period of not more than ninety days, which period begins on the individual's date of enrollment and runs concurrently with any waiting period imposed under the coverage. For purposes of this division, "affiliation period" means a period of time which, under the terms of the coverage offered, must expire before the coverage becomes effective. No health care services or benefits need to be provided during an affiliation period, and no periodic prepayments can be charged for any coverage during that period.

(H) If a health insuring corporation offers coverage in the small employer group market through a network plan, limit or deny the coverage in accordance with section 3924.031 of the Revised Code;

(I) Refuse to issue coverage in the small employer group market pursuant to section 3924.032 of the Revised Code;

(J) Establish employer contribution rules or group participation rules for the offering of coverage in connection with a group contract in the small employer group market, as provided in division (E)(1) of section 3924.03 of the Revised Code.

Nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting a health insuring corporation without other commercial enrollment from contracting solely with federal health care programs regulated by federal regulatory bodies.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority of a health insuring corporation to perform those functions not otherwise prohibited by law.

Section 1751.07 | Responsibility for funds.

• Effective: June 4, 1997
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 67 - 122nd General Assembly

Any trustee, director, officer, or employee of a health insuring corporation who receives, collects, disburses, or invests funds in connection with the activities of the health insuring corporation shall be responsible for such funds in a fiduciary relationship to the corporation.

Section 1751.08 | Inapplicability of insurance laws.

• Effective: June 4, 1997
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 67 - 122nd General Assembly

(A) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this chapter or Title XXXIX of the Revised Code, provisions of Title XXXIX of the Revised Code shall not be applicable to any health insuring corporation holding a certificate of authority under this chapter. This division shall not apply to an insurer licensed and regulated pursuant to Title XXXIX of the Revised Code except with respect to its health insuring corporation activities authorized and regulated pursuant to this chapter.

(B) For the purpose of clarifying jurisdiction under the "Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978," 92 Stat. 2549, 11 U.S.C.A. 101, and in recognition of the right of this state to regulate domestic insurance companies under the "McCarran-Ferguson Act," 59 Stat. 33 (1945), 15 U.S.C.A. 1011, a health insuring corporation is deemed to be a domestic insurance company.

(C) Solicitation of enrollees by a health insuring corporation holding a certificate of authority under this chapter, or its representatives, shall not be construed to violate any provision of law relating to solicitation or advertising by health professionals.

(D) Any health insuring corporation holding a certificate of authority under this chapter shall not be considered to be practicing medicine.

Section 1751.11 | Evidence of coverage.

• Effective: September 29, 2013
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly

(A) Every subscriber of a health insuring corporation is entitled to an evidence of coverage for the health care plan under which health care benefits are provided.

(B) Every subscriber of a health insuring corporation that offers basic health care services is entitled to an identification card or similar document that specifies the health insuring corporation's name as stated in its articles of incorporation, and any trade or fictitious names used by the health insuring corporation. The identification card or document shall list at least one toll-free telephone number that provides the subscriber with access, to information on a twenty-four-hours-per-day, seven-days-per-week basis, as to how health care services may be obtained. The identification card or document shall also list at least one toll-free number that, during normal business hours, provides the subscriber with access to information on the coverage available under the subscriber's health care plan and information on the health care plan's internal and external review processes.

(C) No evidence of coverage, or amendment to the evidence of coverage, shall be delivered, issued for delivery, renewed, or used, until the form of the evidence of coverage or amendment has been filed by the health insuring corporation with the superintendent of insurance. If the superintendent does not disapprove the evidence of coverage or amendment within sixty days after it is filed it shall be deemed approved, unless the superintendent sooner gives approval for the evidence of coverage or amendment. With respect to an amendment to an approved evidence of coverage, the superintendent only may disapprove provisions amended or added to the evidence of coverage. If the superintendent determines within the sixty-day period that any evidence of coverage or amendment fails to meet the requirements of this section, the superintendent shall so notify the health insuring corporation and it shall be unlawful for the health insuring corporation to use such evidence of coverage or amendment. At any time, the superintendent, upon at least thirty days' written notice to a health insuring corporation, may withdraw an approval, deemed or actual, of any evidence of coverage or amendment on any of the grounds stated in this section. Such disapproval shall be effected by a written order, which shall state the grounds for disapproval and shall be issued in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

(D) No evidence of coverage or amendment shall be delivered, issued for delivery, renewed, or used:

(1) If it contains provisions or statements that are inequitable, untrue, misleading, or deceptive;

(2) Unless it contains a clear, concise, and complete statement of the following:

(a) The health care services and insurance or other benefits, if any, to which an enrollee is entitled under the health care plan;

(b) Any exclusions or limitations on the health care services, type of health care services, benefits, or type of benefits to be provided, including copayments and deductibles;

(c) An enrollee's personal financial obligation for noncovered services;

(d) Where and in what manner general information and information as to how health care services may be obtained is available, including a toll-free telephone number;

(e) The premium rate with respect to individual and conversion contracts, and relevant copayment and deductible provisions with respect to all contracts. The statement of the premium rate, however, may be contained in a separate insert.

(f) The method utilized by the health insuring corporation for resolving enrollee complaints;

(g) The utilization review, internal review, and external review procedures established under sections 1751.77 to 1751.83 and Chapter 3922. of the Revised Code.

(3) Unless it provides for the continuation of an enrollee's coverage, in the event that the enrollee's coverage under the group policy, contract, certificate, or agreement terminates while the enrollee is receiving inpatient care in a hospital. This continuation of coverage shall terminate at the earliest occurrence of any of the following:

(a) The enrollee's discharge from the hospital;

(b) The determination by the enrollee's attending physician that inpatient care is no longer medically indicated for the enrollee; however, nothing in division (D)(3)(b) of this section precludes a health insuring corporation from engaging in utilization review as described in the evidence of coverage.

(c) The enrollee's reaching the limit for contractual benefits;

(d) The effective date of any new coverage.

(4) Unless it contains a provision that states, in substance, that the health insuring corporation is not a member of any guaranty fund, and that in the event of the health insuring corporation's insolvency, an enrollee is protected only to the extent that the hold harmless provision required by section 1751.13 of the Revised Code applies to the health care services rendered;

(5) Unless it contains a provision that states, in substance, that in the event of the insolvency of the health insuring corporation, an enrollee may be financially responsible for health care services rendered by a provider or health care facility that is not under contract to the health insuring corporation, whether or not the health insuring corporation authorized the use of the provider or health care facility.

(E) Notwithstanding divisions (C) and (D) of this section, a health insuring corporation may use an evidence of coverage that provides for the coverage of beneficiaries enrolled in medicare pursuant to a medicare contract, or an evidence of coverage that provides for the coverage of beneficiaries enrolled in the federal employees health benefits program pursuant to 5 U.S.C.A. 8905, or an evidence of coverage that provides for the coverage of medicaid recipients, or an evidence of coverage that provides for the coverage of beneficiaries under any other federal health care program regulated by a federal regulatory body, or an evidence of coverage that provides for 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, if both of the following apply:

(1) The evidence of coverage has been approved by the United States department of health and human services, the United States office of personnel management, the department of medicaid, or the department of administrative services.

(2) The evidence of coverage is filed with the superintendent of insurance prior to use and is accompanied by documentation of approval from the United States department of health and human services, the United States office of personnel management, the department of medicaid, or the department of administrative services.

Section 1751.111 | Standardized prescription identification information - pharmacy benefits to be included.

• Effective: October 1, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 153 - 129th General Assembly

(A)(1) This section applies to both of the following:

(a) A health insuring corporation that issues or requires the use of a standardized identification card or an electronic technology for submission and routing of prescription drug claims pursuant to a policy, contract, or agreement for health care services;

(b) A person or entity that a health insuring corporation contracts with to issue a standardized identification card or an electronic technology described in division (A)(1)(a) of this section.

(2) Notwithstanding division (A)(1) of this section, this section does not apply to the issuance or required use of a standardized identification card or an electronic technology for submission and routing of prescription drug claims in connection with any of the following:

(a) Coverage provided under the medicare advantage program operated pursuant to Part C of Title XVIII of the "Social Security Act," 49 Stat. 62 (1935), 42 U.S.C. 301, as amended.

(b) Coverage provided under medicaid.

(c) Coverage provided under an employer's self-insurance plan or by any of its administrators, as defined in section 3959.01 of the Revised Code, to the extent that federal law supersedes, preempts, prohibits, or otherwise precludes the application of this section to the plan and its administrators.

(B) A standardized identification card or an electronic technology issued or required to be used as provided in division (A)(1) of this section shall contain uniform prescription drug information in accordance with either division (B)(1) or (2) of this section.

(1) The standardized identification card or the electronic technology shall be in a format and contain information fields approved by the national council for prescription drug programs or a successor organization, as specified in the council's or successor organization's pharmacy identification card implementation guide in effect on the first day of October most immediately preceding the issuance or required use of the standardized identification card or the electronic technology.

(2) If the health insuring corporation or the person under contract with the corporation to issue a standardized identification card or an electronic technology requires the information for the submission and routing of a claim, the standardized identification card or the electronic technology shall contain any of the following information:

(a) The health insuring corporation's name;

(b) The subscriber's name, group number, and identification number;

(c) A telephone number to inquire about pharmacy-related issues;

(d) The issuer's international identification number, labeled as "ANSI BIN" or "RxBIN";

(e) The processor's control number, labeled as "RxPCN";

(f) The subscriber's pharmacy benefits group number if different from the subscriber's medical group number, labeled as "RxGrp."

(C) If the standardized identification card or the electronic technology issued or required to be used as provided in division (A)(1) of this section is also used for submission and routing of nonpharmacy claims, the designation "Rx" is required to be included as part of the labels identified in divisions (B)(2)(d) and (e) of this section if the issuer's international identification number or the processor's control number is different for medical and pharmacy claims.

(D) Each health insuring corporation described in division (A) of this section shall annually file a certificate with the superintendent of insurance certifying that it or any person it contracts with to issue a standardized identification card or electronic technology for submission and routing of prescription drug claims complies with this section.

(E)(1) Except as provided in division (E)(2) of this section, if there is a change in the information contained in the standardized identification card or the electronic technology issued to a subscriber, the health insuring corporation or person under contract with the corporation to issue a standardized identification card or an electronic technology shall issue a new card or electronic technology to the subscriber.

(2) A health insuring corporation or person under contract with the corporation is not required under division (E)(1) of this section to issue a new card or electronic technology to a subscriber more than once during a twelve-month period.

(F) Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring a health insuring corporation to produce more than one standardized identification card or one electronic technology for use by subscribers accessing health care benefits provided under a policy, contract, or agreement for health care services.

Section 1751.12 | Contractual periodic prepayment or premium rate.

• Effective: September 29, 2013
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 59, House Bill 3 - 130th General Assembly

(A)(1) No contractual periodic prepayment and no premium rate for nongroup and conversion policies for health care services, or any amendment to them, may be used by any health insuring corporation at any time until the contractual periodic prepayment and premium rate, or amendment, have been filed with the superintendent of insurance, and shall not be effective until the expiration of sixty days after their filing unless the superintendent sooner gives approval. The filing shall be accompanied by an actuarial certification in the form prescribed by the superintendent. The superintendent shall disapprove the filing, if the superintendent determines within the sixty-day period that the contractual periodic prepayment or premium rate, or amendment, is not in accordance with sound actuarial principles or is not reasonably related to the applicable coverage and characteristics of the applicable class of enrollees. The superintendent shall notify the health insuring corporation of the disapproval, and it shall thereafter be unlawful for the health insuring corporation to use the contractual periodic prepayment or premium rate, or amendment.

(2) No contractual periodic prepayment for group policies for health care services shall be used until the contractual periodic prepayment has been filed with the superintendent. The filing shall be accompanied by an actuarial certification in the form prescribed by the superintendent. The superintendent may reject a filing made under division (A)(2) of this section at any time, with at least thirty days' written notice to a health insuring corporation, if the contractual periodic prepayment is not in accordance with sound actuarial principles or is not reasonably related to the applicable coverage and characteristics of the applicable class of enrollees.

(3) At any time, the superintendent, upon at least thirty days' written notice to a health insuring corporation, may withdraw the approval given under division (A)(1) of this section, deemed or actual, of any contractual periodic prepayment or premium rate, or amendment, based on information that either of the following applies:

(a) The contractual periodic prepayment or premium rate, or amendment, is not in accordance with sound actuarial principles.

(b) The contractual periodic prepayment or premium rate, or amendment, is not reasonably related to the applicable coverage and characteristics of the applicable class of enrollees.

(4) Any disapproval under division (A)(1) of this section, any rejection of a filing made under division (A)(2) of this section, or any withdrawal of approval under division (A)(3) of this section, shall be effected by a written notice, which shall state the specific basis for the disapproval, rejection, or withdrawal and shall be issued in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

(B) Notwithstanding division (A) of this section, a health insuring corporation may use a contractual periodic prepayment or premium rate for policies used for the coverage of beneficiaries enrolled in medicare pursuant to a medicare risk contract or medicare cost contract, or for policies used for the coverage of beneficiaries enrolled in the federal employees health benefits program pursuant to 5 U.S.C.A. 8905, or for policies used for the coverage of medicaid recipients, or for policies used for the coverage of beneficiaries under any other federal health care program regulated by a federal regulatory body, or for policies used for 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, if both of the following apply:

(1) The contractual periodic prepayment or premium rate has been approved by the United States department of health and human services, the United States office of personnel management, the department of medicaid, or the department of administrative services.

(2) The contractual periodic prepayment or premium rate is filed with the superintendent prior to use and is accompanied by documentation of approval from the United States department of health and human services, the United States office of personnel management, the department of medicaid, or the department of administrative services.

(C) The administrative expense portion of all contractual periodic prepayment or premium rate filings submitted to the superintendent for review must reflect the actual cost of administering the product. The superintendent may require that the administrative expense portion of the filings be itemized and supported.

(D)(1) Copayments, cost sharing, and deductibles must be reasonable and must not be a barrier to the necessary utilization of services by enrollees.

(2) A health insuring corporation, in order to ensure that copayments, cost sharing, and deductibles are reasonable and not a barrier to the necessary utilization of basic health care services by enrollees shall impose copayment charges, cost sharing, and deductible charges that annually do not exceed forty per cent of the total annual cost to the health insuring corporation of providing all covered health care services when applied to a standard population expected to be covered under the filed product in question. The total annual cost of providing a health care service is the cost to the health insuring corporation of providing the health care service to its enrollees as reduced by any applicable provider discount. This requirement shall be demonstrated by an actuary who is a member of the American academy of actuaries and qualified to provide such certifications as described in the United States qualification standards promulgated by the American academy of actuaries pursuant to the code of professional conduct.

(3) For purposes of division (D) of this section, all of the following apply:

(a) Copayments imposed by health insuring corporations in connection with a high deductible health plan that is linked to a health savings account are reasonable and are not a barrier to the necessary utilization of services by enrollees.

(b) Division (D)(2) of this section does not apply to a high deductible health plan that is linked to a health savings account.

(c) Catastrophic-only plans, as defined under the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," 124 Stat. 119, 42 U.S.C. 18022 and any related regulations, are not subject to the limits prescribed in division (D) of this section, provided that such plans meet all applicable minimum federal requirements.

(E) A health insuring corporation shall not impose lifetime maximums on basic health care services. However, a health insuring corporation may establish a benefit limit for inpatient hospital services that are provided pursuant to a policy, contract, certificate, or agreement for supplemental health care services.

(F) The superintendent may adopt rules allowing different copayment, cost sharing, and deductible amounts for plans with a medical savings account, health reimbursement arrangement, flexible spending account, or similar account;

(G) A health insuring corporation may impose higher copayment, cost sharing, and deductible charges under health plans if requested by the group contract, policy, certificate, or agreement holder, or an individual seeking coverage under an individual health plan. This shall not be construed as requiring the health insuring corporation to create customized health plans for group contract holders or individuals.

(H) As used in this section, "health savings account" and "high deductible health plan" have the same meanings as in the "Internal Revenue Code of 1986," 100 Stat. 2085, 26 U.S.C. 223, as amended.

The Legislative Service Commission presents the text of this section as a composite of the section as amended by multiple acts of the General Assembly. This presentation recognizes the principle stated in R.C. 1.52(B) that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation.

Section 1751.13 | Contracts with providers and health care facilities.

• Effective: September 10, 2012
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 487 - 129th General Assembly

(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.

Section 1751.14 | Termination of coverage of child.

• Effective: October 3, 2023
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly

(A) Notwithstanding section 3901.71 of the Revised Code, any policy, contract, or agreement for health care services authorized by this chapter that is issued, delivered, or renewed in this state and that provides that coverage of an unmarried dependent child will terminate upon attainment of the limiting age for dependent children specified in the policy, contract, or agreement, shall also provide in substance both of the following:

(1) Once an unmarried child has attained the limiting age for dependent children, as provided in the policy, contract, or agreement, upon the request of the subscriber, the health insuring corporation shall offer to cover the unmarried child until the child attains twenty-six years of age if all of the following are true:

(a) The child is the natural child, stepchild, or adopted child of the subscriber.

(b) The child is a resident of this state or a full-time student at an accredited public or private institution of higher education.

(c) The child is not employed by an employer that offers any health benefit plan under which the child is eligible for coverage.

(d) The child is not eligible for coverage under the medicaid program or the medicare program.

(2) That attainment of the limiting age for dependent children shall not operate to terminate the coverage of a dependent child if the child is and continues to be both of the following:

(a) Incapable of self-sustaining employment by reason of physical disability or intellectual disability;

(b) Primarily dependent upon the subscriber for support and maintenance.

(B) Proof of incapacity and dependence for purposes of division (A)(2) of this section shall be furnished to the health insuring corporation within thirty-one days of the child's attainment of the limiting age. Upon request, but not more frequently than annually, the health insuring corporation may require proof satisfactory to it of the continuance of such incapacity and dependency.

(C) Nothing in this section shall do any of the following:

(1) Require that any policy, contract, or agreement offer coverage for dependent children or provide coverage for an unmarried dependent child's children as dependents on the policy, contract, or agreement;

(2) Require an employer to pay for any part of the premium for an unmarried dependent child that has attained the limiting age for dependents, as provided in the policy, contract, or agreement;

(3) Require an employer to offer health insurance coverage to the dependents of any employee.

(D)(1) Except as provided in division (D)(2) of this section, this section does not apply to any health insuring corporation policy, contract, or agreement offering only supplemental health care services or specialty health care services.

(2) This section applies to health insuring corporation policies, contracts, or agreements providing coverage of dental care or vision care services that are issued, renewed, or amended on or after January 1, 2024.

(E) As used in this section, "health benefit plan" has the same meaning as in section 3924.01 of the Revised Code and also includes both of the following:

(1) A public employee benefit plan;

(2) A health benefit plan as regulated under the "Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974," 29 U.S.C. 1001, et seq.

Last updated October 3, 2023 at 9:22 AM

Section 1751.141 | Dependent children living outside health insuring corporation's approved service area.

• Effective: March 22, 1999
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 698 - 122nd General Assembly

A health insuring corporation shall provide coverage, in accordance with the terms of the contract, for a subscriber's dependent children living outside the health insuring corporation's approved service area if a court order requires the subscriber to provide health care coverage to the dependent children.

Section 1751.15 | [Suspended eff. 1/1/2014 to 1/1/2026, per Section 3 of S.B. 9 of the 130th General Assembly, as amended] Annual open enrollment period.

• Effective: October 1, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 153 - 129th General Assembly

(A) Each health insuring corporation shall accept individuals for open enrollment coverage as provided in sections 3923.58 and 3923.581 of the Revised Code. A health insuring corporation may reinsure coverage of any individual acquired under those sections with the open enrollment reinsurance program in accordance with division (G) of section 3924.11 of the Revised Code. Fixed periodic prepayment rates charged for coverage reinsured by the program shall be established in accordance with section 3924.12 of the Revised Code.

(B) This section does not apply to any of the following:

(1) Any health insuring corporation that offers only supplemental health care services or specialty health care services;

(2) Any health insuring corporation that offers plans only through medicare or medicaid and that has no other commercial enrollment;

(3) Any health insuring corporation that offers plans only through other federal health care programs regulated by federal regulatory bodies and that has no other commercial enrollment;

(4) Any health insuring corporation that offers plans only through contracts covering officers or employees of the state that have been entered into by the department of administrative services and that has no other commercial enrollment.

Last updated March 23, 2022 at 10:25 AM

Section 1751.16 | [Suspended eff. 1/1/2014 to 1/1/2026, per Section 3 of S.B. 9 of the 130th General Assembly, as amended] Option for conversion from group to individual contract.

• Effective: October 16, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 128th General Assembly

(A) Except as provided in division (F) of this section, every group contract issued by a health insuring corporation shall provide an option for conversion to an individual contract issued on a direct-payment basis to any subscriber covered by the group contract who terminates employment or membership in the group, unless:

(1) Termination of the conversion option or contract is based upon nonpayment of premium after reasonable notice in writing has been given by the health insuring corporation to the subscriber.

(2) The subscriber is, or is eligible to be, covered for benefits at least comparable to the group contract under any of the following:

(a) Medicare;

(b) Any act of congress or law under this or any other state of the United States providing coverage at least comparable to the benefits under division (A)(2)(a) of this section;

(c) Any policy of insurance or health care plan providing coverage at least comparable to the benefits under division (A)(2)(a) of this section.

(B)(1) The direct-payment contract offered by the health insuring corporation pursuant to division (A) of this section shall provide the following:

(a) In the case of an individual who is not a federally eligible individual, benefits comparable to benefits in any of the individual contracts then being issued to individual subscribers by the health insuring corporation;

(b) In the case of a federally eligible individual, a basic and standard plan established under section 3924.10 of the Revised Code or plans substantially similar to the basic and standard plan in benefit design and scope of covered services. For purposes of division (B)(1)(b) of this section, the superintendent of insurance shall determine whether a plan is substantially similar to the basic or standard plan in benefit design and scope of covered services. The contractual periodic prepayments charged for such plans may not exceed the amounts specified below:

(i) For calendar years 2010 and 2011, an amount that is two times the base rate charged any other individual of a group to which the organization is currently accepting new business and for which similar copayments and deductibles are applied;

(ii) For calendar year 2012 and every calendar year thereafter, an amount that is one and one-half times the base rate charged any other individual of a group to which the health insuring corporation is currently accepting new business and for which similar copayments and deductibles are applied, unless the superintendent of insurance determines that the amendments by this act to sections 3923.58 and 3923.581 of the Revised Code, have resulted in the market-wide average medical loss ratio for coverage sold to individual insureds and nonemployer group insureds in this state, including open enrollment insureds, to increase by more than five and one quarter percentage points during calendar year 2010. If the superintendent makes that determination, the premium limit established by division (B)(1)(b)(i) of this section shall remain in effect.

(2) The direct payment contract offered pursuant to division (A) of this section may include a coordination of benefits provision as approved by the superintendent.

(3) For purposes of division (B) of this section:

(a) "Federally eligible individual" means an eligible individual as defined in 45 C.F.R. 148.103.

(b) "Base rate" means, as to any health benefit plan that is issued by a health insuring corporation, the lowest premium rate for new or existing business prescribed by the health insuring corporation for the same or similar coverage under a plan or arrangement covering any individual in a group with similar case characteristics.

(C) The option for conversion shall be available:

(1) Upon the death of the subscriber, to the surviving spouse with respect to such of the spouse and dependents as are then covered by the group contract;

(2) To a child solely with respect to the child upon the child's attaining the limiting age of coverage under the group contract while covered as a dependent under the contract;

(3) Upon the divorce, dissolution, or annulment of the marriage of the subscriber, to the divorced spouse, or, in the event of annulment, to the former spouse of the subscriber.

(D) No health insuring corporation shall use age or health status as the basis for refusing to renew a converted contract.

(E) Written notice of the conversion option provided by this section shall be given to the subscriber by the health insuring corporation by mail. The notice shall be sent to the subscriber's address in the records of the employer upon receipt of notice from the employer of the event giving rise to the conversion option. If the subscriber has not received notice of the conversion privilege at least fifteen days prior to the expiration of the thirty-day conversion period, then the subscriber shall have an additional period within which to exercise the privilege. This additional period shall expire fifteen days after the subscriber receives notice, but in no event shall the period extend beyond sixty days after the expiration of the thirty-day conversion period.

(F) This section does not apply to any group contract offering only supplemental health care services or specialty health care services.

Last updated March 23, 2022 at 10:26 AM

Section 1751.17 | [Suspended eff. 1/1/2014 to 1/1/2026, per Section 3 of S.B. 9 of the 130th General Assembly, as amended] Option for conversion to a contract issued on a direct-payment basis.

• Effective: October 1, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 153 - 129th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "nongroup contract" means a contract issued by a health insuring corporation to an individual who makes direct application for coverage under the contract and who, if required by the health insuring corporation, submits to medical underwriting. "Nongroup contract" does not include group conversion coverage, coverage obtained through open enrollment, or coverage issued on the basis of membership in a group.

(B) Except as provided in division (C) of this section, every nongroup contract that is issued by a health insuring corporation and that makes available basic health care services shall provide an option for conversion to a contract issued on a direct-payment basis to an enrollee covered by the nongroup contract. The option for conversion shall be available:

(1) Upon the death of the subscriber, to the surviving spouse with respect to the spouse or dependents who were then covered by the nongroup contract;

(2) Upon the divorce, dissolution, or annulment of the marriage of the subscriber, to the divorced spouse, or, in the event of annulment, to the former spouse of the subscriber;

(3) To a child solely with respect to the child, upon the child's attaining the limiting age of coverage under the nongroup contract while covered as a dependent under the contract.

(C) The direct payment contract offered pursuant to division (B) of this section shall not be made available to an enrollee if any of the following applies:

(1) The enrollee is, or is eligible to be, covered for benefits at least comparable to the nongroup contract under any of the following:

(a) Medicaid;

(b) Medicare;

(c) Any act of congress or law under this or any other state of the United States providing coverage at least comparable to the benefits offered under division (C)(1)(a) or (b) of this section.

(2) The nongroup contract under which the enrollee was covered was terminated due to nonpayment of a premium rate.

(3) The enrollee is eligible for group coverage provided by, or available through, an employer or association and the group coverage provides benefits comparable to the benefits provided under a direct payment contract.

(D) The direct payment contract offered pursuant to division (B) of this section shall provide benefits that are at least comparable to the benefits provided by the nongroup contract under which the enrollee was covered at the time of the occurrence of any of the events set forth in division (B) of this section. The coverage provided under the direct payment contract shall be continuous, provided that the enrollee makes the required premium rate payment within the thirty-day period immediately following the occurrence of the event, and may be terminated for nonpayment of any required premium rate payment.

(E) The evidence of coverage of every nongroup contract shall contain notice that an option for conversion to a contract issued on a direct-payment basis is available, in accordance with this section, to any enrollee covered by the contract.

(F) Benefits otherwise payable to an enrollee under a direct payment contract shall be reduced by the amount of any benefits available to the enrollee under any applicable group health insuring corporation contract or group sickness and accident insurance policy.

(G) Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring a health insuring corporation to offer nongroup contracts.

(H) This section does not apply to any nongroup contract offering only supplemental health care services or specialty health care services.

Last updated March 23, 2022 at 10:26 AM

Section 1751.18 | Cancelling or failing to renew coverage.

• Effective: September 29, 2015
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly

(A)(1) No health insuring corporation shall cancel or fail to renew the coverage of a subscriber or enrollee because of any health status-related factor in relation to the subscriber or enrollee, the subscriber's or enrollee's requirements for health care services, or for any other reason designated under rules adopted by the superintendent of insurance.

(2) Unless otherwise required by state or federal law, no health insuring corporation, or health care facility or provider through which the health insuring corporation has made arrangements to provide health care services, shall discriminate against any individual with regard to enrollment, disenrollment, or the quality of health care services rendered, on the basis of the individual's race, color, sex, age, religion, military status as defined in section 4112.01 of the Revised Code, or status as a recipient of medicare or medicaid, or any health status-related factor in relation to the individual. However, a health insuring corporation shall not be required to accept a recipient of medicare or medical assistance, if an agreement has not been reached on appropriate payment mechanisms between the health insuring corporation and the governmental agency administering these programs. Further, except for open enrollment coverage under sections 3923.58 and 3923.581 of the Revised Code and except as provided in section 1751.65 of the Revised Code, a health insuring corporation may reject an applicant for nongroup enrollment on the basis of any health status-related factor in relation to the applicant.

(B) A health insuring corporation may cancel or decide not to renew the coverage of an enrollee if the enrollee has performed an act or practice that constitutes fraud or intentional misrepresentation of material fact under the terms of the coverage and if the cancellation or nonrenewal is not based, either directly or indirectly, on any health status-related factor in relation to the enrollee.

(C) An enrollee may appeal any action or decision of a health insuring corporation taken pursuant to section 2742(b) to (e) of the "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996," Pub. L. No. 104-191, 110 Stat. 1955, 42 U.S.C.A. 300gg-42, as amended. To appeal, the enrollee may submit a written complaint to the health insuring corporation pursuant to section 1751.19 of the Revised Code. The enrollee may, within thirty days after receiving a written response from the health insuring corporation, appeal the health insuring corporation's action or decision to the superintendent.

(D) As used in this section, "health status-related factor" means any of the following:

(1) Health status;

(2) Medical condition, including both physical and mental illnesses;

(3) Claims experience;

(4) Receipt of health care;

(5) Medical history;

(6) Genetic information;

(7) Evidence of insurability, including conditions arising out of acts of domestic violence;

(8) Disability.

Section 1751.19 | Complaint system.

• Effective: October 16, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 128th General Assembly

(A) A health insuring corporation shall establish and maintain a complaint system that has been approved by the superintendent of insurance to provide adequate and reasonable procedures for the expeditious resolution of written complaints initiated by subscribers or enrollees concerning any matter relating to services provided, directly or indirectly, by the health insuring corporation, including, but not limited to, complaints regarding cancellations or nonrenewals of coverage. Complaints regarding a health insuring corporation's decision to deny, reduce, or terminate coverage for health care services are subject to section 1751.83 of the Revised Code.

(B) A health insuring corporation shall provide a timely written response to each written complaint it receives.

(C)(1) Copies of complaints and responses, including medical records related to those complaints, shall be available to the superintendent for inspection for three years. Any document or information provided to the superintendent pursuant to this division that contains a medical record is confidential, and is not a public record subject to section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(2) Notwithstanding division (C)(1) of this section, the superintendent may share documents and information that contain a medical record in connection with the investigation or prosecution of any illegal or criminal activity with the chief deputy rehabilitator, the chief deputy liquidator, other deputy rehabilitators and liquidators, and any other person employed by, or acting on behalf of, the superintendent pursuant to Chapter 3901. or 3903. of the Revised Code, with other local, state, federal, and international regulatory and law enforcement agencies, with local, state, and federal prosecutors, and with the national association of insurance commissioners and its affiliates and subsidiaries, provided that the recipient agrees to maintain the confidential or privileged status of the confidential or privileged document or information and has authority to do so.

(3) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the superintendent from receiving documents and information in accordance with section 3901.045 of the Revised Code.

(4) The superintendent may enter into agreements governing the sharing and use of documents and information consistent with the requirements of this section.

(5) No waiver of any applicable privilege or claim of confidentiality in the documents and information described in division (C)(1) of this section occurs as a result of sharing or receiving documents and information as authorized in divisions (C)(2) and (3) of this section.

(D) A health insuring corporation shall establish and maintain a procedure to accept complaints over the telephone or in person. These complaints are not subject to the reporting requirement under division (C) of section 1751.32 of the Revised Code.

(E) A health insuring corporation may comply with this section and section 1751.83 of the Revised Code by establishing one system for receiving and reviewing complaints and requests for internal review from enrollees and subscribers if the system meets the requirements of both sections.

Section 1751.20 | Unfair, untrue, misleading, or deceptive acts.

• Effective: October 1, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 153 - 129th General Assembly

(A) No health insuring corporation, or agent, employee, or representative of a health insuring corporation, shall use any advertisement or solicitation document, or shall engage in any activity, that is unfair, untrue, misleading, or deceptive.

(B) No health insuring corporation shall use a name that is deceptively similar to the name or description of any insurance or surety corporation doing business in this state.

(C) All solicitation documents, advertisements, evidences of coverage, and enrollee identification cards used by a health insuring corporation shall contain the health insuring corporation's name. The use of a trade name, an insurance group designation, the name of a parent company, the name of a division of an affiliated insurance company, a service mark, a slogan, a symbol, or other device, without the name of the health insuring corporation as stated in its articles of incorporation, shall not satisfy this requirement if the usage would have the capacity and tendency to mislead or deceive persons as to the true identity of the health insuring corporation.

(D) No solicitation document or advertisement used by a health insuring corporation shall contain any words, symbols, or physical materials that are so similar in content, phraseology, shape, color, or other characteristic to those used by an agency of the federal government or this state, that prospective enrollees may be led to believe that the solicitation document or advertisement is connected with an agency of the federal government or this state.

(E) A health insuring corporation that provides basic health care services may use the phrase "health maintenance organization" or the abbreviation "HMO" in its marketing name, advertising, solicitation documents, or marketing literature, or in reference to the phrase "doing business as" or the abbreviation "DBA."

(F) This section 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.

Section 1751.21 | Peer review committee.

• Effective: April 9, 2003
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 179 - 124th General Assembly

(A) A peer review committee of a hospital or other health care facility or provider, or of an intermediary organization or health delivery network, with which a health insuring corporation has a contract for health care services may provide to a peer review committee of the health insuring corporation any information, documents, testimony, or other records relating to any matter that is the subject of evaluation or review by the peer review committees, if consent is provided by the health care facility and any physician or other provider whose professional qualifications or activities are the subject of evaluation or review.

(B) Any immunity from liability for damages that is provided under section 2305.251 of the Revised Code and that would otherwise apply with respect to the conduct of any peer review committee described in division (A) of this section shall continue to apply, notwithstanding the provision of information as permitted under division (A) of this section.

(C) The information, documents, testimony, or other records described in division (A) of this section, if otherwise protected under section 2305.252 of the Revised Code, shall not be construed as being available for discovery or for use in any civil action solely on the basis that they were provided by the peer review committee as permitted under division (A) of this section.

Section 1751.25 | Investment of funds.

• Effective: September 4, 2014
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 140 - 130th General Assembly

(A) Except as provided in division (B) of this section, the funds of a health insuring corporation shall be invested only in securities or other investments or assets that constitute permissible investments under section 1751.26 or 3925.08 of the Revised Code.

(B) A health insuring corporation may seek permission from the superintendent of insurance to invest funds under Chapter 3906. of the Revised Code and may invest funds under that chapter if such permission is granted.

Section 1751.26 | Investments in real estate.

• Effective: June 4, 1997
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 67 - 122nd General Assembly

(A) For purposes of this section, real estate used for "the accommodation of the health insuring corporation's business operations" includes the health insuring corporation's home office, branch office, medical facilities, and field office operations.

(B) No health insuring corporation shall purchase, hold, or convey real estate, or any interest in real estate, to be used as an investment for the production of income, to be developed for the production of income, or to be otherwise used for purposes other than the accommodation of the health insuring corporation's business operations, without the prior approval of the superintendent of insurance.

(C)(1) No health insuring corporation shall invest, without the prior approval of the superintendent, an amount that exceeds forty per cent of its admitted assets as of the immediately preceding thirty-first day of December in real estate used for the accommodation of the health insuring corporation's business operations from which the health insuring corporation provides health care services.

(2) No health insuring corporation shall invest, without the prior approval of the superintendent, an amount that exceeds twenty-five per cent of its admitted assets as of the immediately preceding thirty-first day of December in real estate used for the accommodation of the health insuring corporation's business operations from which the health insuring corporation does not provide health care services.

Section 1751.27 | Deposit of securities with superintendent or custodian.

• Effective: June 4, 1997
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 67 - 122nd General Assembly

(A) Each health insuring corporation holding a certificate of authority to operate in this state shall have deposited securities with the superintendent of insurance or an approved custodian in the amount required by this division.

(1) Each health insuring corporation authorized to provide basic health care services shall maintain a deposit of not less than two hundred fifty thousand dollars.

(2) Each health insuring corporation authorized to provide only supplemental health care services shall maintain a deposit of not less than one hundred fifty thousand dollars.

(3) Each health insuring corporation authorized to provide only specialty health care services shall maintain a deposit of not less than seventy-five thousand dollars.

(4) Each health insuring corporation authorized to provide both basic health care services and supplemental health care services shall maintain a deposit of not less than four hundred thousand dollars.

(5) Each health insuring corporation authorized to provide both basic health care services and specialty health care services shall maintain a deposit of not less than three hundred twenty-five thousand dollars.

(B) The securities deposited under division (A) of this section shall be held as security for the fulfillment of the obligations of the health insuring corporation to its enrollees under this chapter.

(C) The interest from the deposit made under division (A) of this section shall accrue to the health insuring corporation that made the deposit. The deposit shall be considered to be an admitted asset of the health insuring corporation.

(D) The superintendent shall adopt rules setting forth the qualifications and responsibilities of an approved custodian.

Section 1751.271 | Medicaid providers - performance bond.

• Effective: September 29, 2013
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly

(A) Each health insuring corporation that provides coverage to medicaid recipients shall post a performance bond in the amount of three million dollars as security to fulfill the obligations of the health insuring corporation to pay claims of contracted providers for covered health care services provided to medicaid recipients. The bond shall be payable to the department of insurance in the event that the health insuring corporation is placed in rehabilitation or liquidation proceedings under Chapter 3903. of the Revised Code, and shall become a special deposit subject to section 3903.14 or 3903.421 of the Revised Code, as applicable. In lieu of the performance bond, a medicaid health insuring corporation may deposit securities with the superintendent of insurance, acceptable to the superintendent, in the amount of three million dollars, to satisfy the bonding requirements of this section. Upon rehabilitation or liquidation, the securities shall become a special deposit subject to sections 3903.14 and 3903.421 of the Revised Code, as applicable. The health insuring corporation shall receive the interest on the deposited securities as long as the health insuring corporation remains solvent.

(B) The bond shall be issued by a surety company licensed with the department of insurance. The bond or deposit, or any replacement bond or deposit, shall be in a form acceptable to the superintendent, and shall remain in effect during the duration of the medicaid health insuring corporation's license and thereafter until all claims against the medicaid health insuring corporation have been paid in full.

(C) Documentation of the bond acceptable to the superintendent of insurance shall be filed with the superintendent prior to the issuance of a certificate of authority. Annually, thirty days prior to the renewal of its certificate of authority, every medicaid health insuring corporation shall furnish the superintendent of insurance with evidence that the required bond is still in effect.

(D) As used in this section:

(1) "Contracted provider" means a provider that has a contract with a medicaid health insuring corporation to provide covered health care services to medicaid recipients.

(2) "Medicaid health insuring corporation" means a health insuring corporation that provides health insurance coverage or otherwise assumes claims liabilities for medicaid recipients.

(3) "Medicaid recipient" means a person enrolled in the medicaid program.

Section 1751.28 | Admitted assets held in corporation's name and free and clear of encumbrances, pledges, or hypothecation.

• Effective: July 2, 2004
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 281 - 125th General Assembly

(A)(1) Every health insuring corporation authorized to provide basic health care services, which health insuring corporation is not a provider sponsored organization, shall maintain total admitted assets equal to at least one hundred ten per cent of the liabilities of the corporation. However, at no time shall the corporation's net worth be less than one million two hundred thousand dollars.

(2) Every health insuring corporation authorized to provide only supplemental health care services shall maintain total admitted assets equal to at least one hundred ten per cent of the liabilities of the corporation. However, at no time shall the corporation's net worth be less than five hundred thousand dollars.

(3) Every health insuring corporation authorized to provide only specialty health care services shall maintain total admitted assets equal to at least one hundred ten per cent of the liabilities of the corporation. However, at no time shall the corporation's net worth be less than two hundred fifty thousand dollars.

(4) Every health insuring corporation authorized to provide both basic health care services and supplemental health care services, which health insuring corporation is not a provider sponsored organization, shall maintain total admitted assets equal to at least one hundred ten per cent of the liabilities of the corporation. However, at no time shall the corporation's net worth be less than one million seven hundred thousand dollars.

(5) Every health insuring corporation authorized to provide both basic health care services and specialty health care services, which health insuring corporation is not a provider sponsored organization, shall maintain total admitted assets equal to at least one hundred ten per cent of the liabilities of the corporation. However, at no time shall the corporation's net worth be less than one million four hundred fifty thousand dollars.

(6) Every health insuring corporation authorized to provide basic health care services, which health insuring corporation is a provider sponsored organization, shall maintain total admitted assets equal to at least one hundred ten per cent of the liabilities of the corporation. However, at no time shall the corporation's net worth be less than one million dollars.

(7) Every health insuring corporation authorized to provide both basic health care services and supplemental health care services, which health insuring corporation is a provider sponsored organization, shall maintain total admitted assets equal to at least one hundred ten per cent of the liabilities of the corporation. However, at no time shall the corporation's net worth be less than one million five hundred thousand dollars.

(8) Every health insuring corporation authorized to provide both basic health care services and specialty health care services, which health insuring corporation is a provider sponsored organization, shall maintain total admitted assets equal to at least one hundred ten per cent of the liabilities of the corporation. However, at no time shall the corporation's net worth be less than one million two hundred fifty thousand dollars.

(B) The net worth otherwise required by this section shall be reduced by an amount representing credit given to reserve liabilities when a health insuring corporation carries reinsurance with an admitted reinsurer. However, such an amount shall not affect the minimum amounts set forth in this section and section 1751.27 of the Revised Code.

(C) A health insuring corporation may only consider those admitted assets in connection with this section that are consistent with the forms, instructions, and manuals for the preparation and reporting of statutory financial statements and other financial information set forth in section 1751.47 of the Revised Code and any rules adopted under that section.

(D) All health insuring corporations must comply with this section, as amended, for calendar year 2004 and each calendar year thereafter.

Section 1751.31 | Changes in corporation's solicitation document.

• Effective: September 29, 2013
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 59, Senate Bill 9 - 130th General Assembly

(A) Any changes in a health insuring corporation's solicitation document shall be filed with the superintendent of insurance thirty days prior to use for informational purposes, and shall comply with the requirements of this section. If the superintendent finds that any solicitation document fails to comply with the requirements of this section, the superintendent may disapprove any solicitation document or require amendment to it on any of the grounds stated in this section. Such disapproval shall be effected by written notice to the health insuring corporation. The notice shall state the grounds for disapproval and shall be issued in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

(B) The solicitation document shall contain all information necessary to enable a consumer to make an informed choice as to whether or not to enroll in the health insuring corporation. The information shall include a specific description of the health care services to be available and the approximate number and type of full-time equivalent medical practitioners. The information shall be presented in the solicitation document in a manner that is clear, concise, and intelligible to prospective applicants in the proposed service area.

(C) Every potential applicant whose subscription to a health care plan is solicited shall receive, at or before the time of solicitation, a solicitation document approved by the superintendent.

(D) Notwithstanding division (A) of this section, a health insuring corporation may use a solicitation document that the corporation uses in connection with policies for medicare beneficiaries pursuant to a medicare risk contract or medicare cost contract, or for policies for beneficiaries of the federal employees health benefits program pursuant to 5 U.S.C.A. 8905, or for policies for medicaid recipients, or for policies for beneficiaries of any other federal health care program regulated by a federal regulatory body, or for policies for beneficiaries of contracts covering officers or employees of the state entered into by the department of administrative services, if both of the following apply:

(1) The solicitation document has been approved by the United States department of health and human services, the United States office of personnel management, the department of medicaid, or the department of administrative services.

(2) The solicitation document is filed with the superintendent of insurance prior to use and is accompanied by documentation of approval from the United States department of health and human services, the United States office of personnel management, the department of medicaid, or the department of administrative services.

(E) No health insuring corporation, or its agents or representatives, shall use monetary or other valuable consideration, engage in misleading or deceptive practices, or make untrue, misleading, or deceptive representations to induce enrollment. Nothing in this division shall prohibit incentive forms of remuneration such as commission sales programs for the health insuring corporation's employees and agents.

(F) Any person obligated for any part of a premium rate in connection with an enrollment agreement, in addition to any right otherwise available to revoke an offer, may cancel such agreement within seventy-two hours after having signed the agreement or offer to enroll. Cancellation occurs when written notice of the cancellation is given to the health insuring corporation or its agents or other representatives. A notice of cancellation mailed to the health insuring corporation shall be considered to have been filed on its postmark date.

(G) Nothing in this section shall prohibit healthy lifestyle programs.

The Legislative Service Commission presents the text of this section as a composite of the section as amended by multiple acts of the General Assembly. This presentation recognizes the principle stated in R.C. 1.52(B) that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation.

Section 1751.32 | Annual report.

• Effective: January 1, 2021
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 339 - 133rd General Assembly

Each health insuring corporation, annually, on or before the first day of March, shall file a report with the superintendent of insurance, covering the preceding calendar year.

The report shall be verified by an officer of the health insuring corporation, shall be in the form the superintendent prescribes, and shall include:

(A) A financial statement of the health insuring corporation, including its balance sheet and receipts and disbursements for the preceding year, which reflect, at a minimum:

(1) All premium rate and other payments received for health care services rendered;

(2) Expenditures with respect to all categories of providers, facilities, insurance companies, and other persons engaged to fulfill obligations of the health insuring corporation arising out of its health care policies, contracts, certificates, and agreements;

(3) Expenditures for capital improvements or additions thereto, including, but not limited to, construction, renovation, or purchase of facilities and equipment.

(B) A description of the enrollee population and composition, group and nongroup;

(C) A summary of enrollee written complaints and their disposition;

(D) A statement of the number of subscriber policies, contracts, certificates, and agreements that have been terminated by action of the health insuring corporation, including the number of enrollees affected;

(E) A summary of the information compiled pursuant to division (A)(5) of section 1751.04 of the Revised Code;

(F) A current report of the names and addresses of the persons responsible for the conduct of the affairs of the health insuring corporation as required by section 1751.03 of the Revised Code. Additionally, the report shall include the amount of wages, expense reimbursements, and other payments to these persons for services to the health insuring corporation, and shall include a full disclosure of the financial interests related to the operations of the health insuring corporation acquired by these persons during the preceding year.

(G) An actuarial opinion in the form prescribed by the superintendent by rule;

(H) Any other information relating to the performance of the health insuring corporation that is necessary to enable the superintendent to carry out the superintendent's duties under this chapter.

Section 1751.321 | Audit report filed annually.

• Effective: October 16, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 128th General Assembly

Each health insuring corporation, annually, on or before the first day of June, shall file with the superintendent of insurance an audit report certified by an independent certified public accountant covering the preceding calendar year. The report shall be verified by an officer of the health insuring corporation and shall be in the form prescribed by the superintendent by rule.

Section 1751.33 | Information to be provided to subscribers.

• Effective: December 26, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 218 - 129th General Assembly

(A) Each health insuring corporation shall provide to its subscribers a description of the health insuring corporation, its method of operation, its service area, its most recent provider list, its complaint procedure established pursuant to section 1751.19 of the Revised Code, and a description of its utilization review, internal review, and external review processes established under sections 1751.77 to 1751.83 and Chapter 3922. of the Revised Code. A health insuring corporation may satisfy this requirement by delivering to its subscribers a document that identifies a web site where the subscriber may view this information. At the request of the subscriber, a health insuring corporation shall provide this information in hard copy by mail. A health insuring corporation providing basic health care services or supplemental health care services shall provide this information annually. A health insuring corporation providing only specialty health care services shall provide this information biennially.

(B) Each health insuring corporation, upon the request of a subscriber, shall make available its most recent statutory financial statement.

Section 1751.34 | Examinations by superintendent and director.

• Effective: October 3, 2023
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly

(A) Each health insuring corporation and each applicant for a certificate of authority under this chapter shall be subject to examination by the superintendent of insurance in accordance with section 3901.07 of the Revised Code. Section 3901.07 of the Revised Code shall govern every aspect of the examination, including the circumstances under and frequency with which it is conducted, the authority of the superintendent and any examiner or other person appointed by the superintendent, the liability for the assessment of expenses incurred in conducting the examination, and the remittance of the assessment to the department of insurance operating fund.

(B) The superintendent shall make an examination concerning the matters subject to the superintendent's consideration in section 1751.04 of the Revised Code as often as the superintendent considers it necessary for the protection of the interests of the people of this state. The expenses of such examinations shall be assessed against the health insuring corporation being examined in the manner in which expenses of examinations are assessed against an insurance company under section 3901.07 of the Revised Code. Nothing in this division requires the superintendent to make an examination of any of the following:

(1) A health insuring corporation that covers solely medicaid recipients;

(2) A health insuring corporation that covers solely medicare beneficiaries;

(3) A health insuring corporation that covers solely medicaid recipients and medicare beneficiaries.

(C) An examination, pursuant to section 3901.07 of the Revised Code, of an insurance company holding a certificate of authority under this chapter to organize and operate a health insuring corporation shall include an examination of the health insuring corporation pursuant to this section and the examination shall satisfy the requirements of divisions (A) and (B) of this section.

(D) The superintendent may conduct market conduct examinations pursuant to section 3901.011 of the Revised Code of any health insuring corporation as often as the superintendent considers it necessary for the protection of the interests of subscribers and enrollees. The expenses of such market conduct examinations shall be assessed against the health insuring corporation being examined. All costs, assessments, or fines collected under this division shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the department of insurance operating fund.

Last updated September 19, 2023 at 2:54 PM

Section 1751.35 | Suspension or revocation of certificate of authority.

• Effective: December 26, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 218 - 129th General Assembly

(A) The superintendent of insurance may suspend or revoke any certificate of authority issued to a health insuring corporation under this chapter if the superintendent finds that:

(1) The health insuring corporation is operating in contravention of its articles of incorporation, its health care plan or plans, or in a manner contrary to that described in and reasonably inferred from any other information submitted under section 1751.03 of the Revised Code, unless amendments to such submissions have been filed and have taken effect in compliance with this chapter.

(2) The health insuring corporation fails to issue evidences of coverage in compliance with the requirements of section 1751.11 of the Revised Code.

(3) The contractual periodic prepayments or premium rates used do not comply with the requirements of section 1751.12 of the Revised Code.

(4) The health insuring corporation enters into a contract, agreement, or other arrangement with any health care facility or provider, that does not comply with the requirements of section 1751.13 of the Revised Code, or the corporation fails to provide an annual certificate as required by section 1751.13 of the Revised Code.

(5) The superintendent determines, after a hearing conducted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, that the health insuring corporation no longer meets the requirements of section 1751.04 of the Revised Code.

(6) The health insuring corporation is no longer financially responsible and may reasonably be expected to be unable to meet its obligations to enrollees or prospective enrollees.

(7) The health insuring corporation has failed to implement the complaint system that complies with the requirements of section 1751.19 of the Revised Code.

(8) The health insuring corporation, or any agent or representative of the corporation, has advertised, merchandised, or solicited on its behalf in contravention of the requirements of section 1751.31 of the Revised Code.

(9) The health insuring corporation has unlawfully discriminated against any enrollee or prospective enrollee with respect to enrollment, disenrollment, or price or quality of health care services.

(10) The continued operation of the health insuring corporation would be hazardous or otherwise detrimental to its enrollees.

(11) The health insuring corporation has submitted false information in any filing or submission required under this chapter or any rule adopted under this chapter.

(12) The health insuring corporation has otherwise failed to substantially comply with this chapter or any rule adopted under this chapter.

(13) The health insuring corporation is not operating a health care plan.

(14) The health insuring corporation has failed to comply with any of the requirements of sections 1751.77 to 1751.87 or Chapter 3922. of the Revised Code.

(B) A certificate of authority shall be suspended or revoked only after compliance with the requirements of Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

(C) When the certificate of authority of a health insuring corporation is suspended, the health insuring corporation, during the period of suspension, shall not enroll any additional subscribers or enrollees except newborn children or other newly acquired dependents of existing subscribers or enrollees, and shall not engage in any advertising or solicitation whatsoever.

(D) When the certificate of authority of a health insuring corporation is revoked, the health insuring corporation, following the effective date of the order of revocation, shall conduct no further business except as may be essential to the orderly conclusion of the affairs of the health insuring corporation. The health insuring corporation shall engage in no further advertising or solicitation whatsoever. The superintendent, by written order, may permit such further operation of the health insuring corporation as the superintendent may find to be in the best interest of enrollees, to the end that enrollees will be afforded the greatest practical opportunity to obtain continuing health care coverage.

Section 1751.36 | Notification of grounds for denial, suspension or revocation of certificate - hearing.

• Effective: October 16, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 128th General Assembly

(A) When the superintendent of insurance has cause to believe that grounds for the denial of an application for a certificate of authority exist, or that grounds for the suspension or revocation of a certificate of authority exist, the superintendent shall notify the applicant or health insuring corporation in writing, specifically stating the grounds for the denial, suspension, or revocation and setting a date of at least thirty days after the notification for a hearing on the matter.

(B) After the hearing authorized by division (A) of this section, or upon the failure of the applicant or health insuring corporation to appear at the hearing, the superintendent shall take such action as in accordance with law and the evidence. The action shall be set out in written findings which shall be mailed to the applicant or health insuring corporation. The action of the superintendent is subject to review in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

(C) Chapter 119. of the Revised Code applies to proceedings under this section to the extent that it is not in conflict with divisions (A) and (B) of this section.

Section 1751.38 | Applicability of other laws.

• Effective: September 1, 2002
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 129 - 124th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "agent" means a person appointed by a health insuring corporation to engage in the solicitation or enrollment of subscribers or enrollees.

(B) Agents of health insuring corporations shall be licensed as insurance agents in accordance with Chapter 3905. of the Revised Code.

(C) Chapter 3905. of the Revised Code shall apply to health insuring corporations and the agents of health insuring corporations in the same manner in which these sections apply to insurers and agents of insurers.

Section 1751.40 | Insurance companies operating as health insuring corporations.

• Effective: June 4, 1997
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 67 - 122nd General Assembly

(A) Notwithstanding any provision of Title XXXIX of the Revised Code, any insurance company holding a certificate of authority issued pursuant to Title XXXIX of the Revised Code, or any corporation that is a subsidiary or affiliate of the insurance company, may apply for and obtain a certificate of authority to organize and operate a health insuring corporation in compliance with this chapter. Notwithstanding any other law that may be inconsistent with this division, any two or more such insurance companies, or subsidiaries or affiliates thereof, may jointly organize and operate a health insuring corporation under this chapter. The business of insurance is deemed to include the providing of health care by a health insuring corporation owned or operated by an insurance company or a subsidiary or affiliate of an insurance company.

(B) Notwithstanding any provision of any insurance laws of this state, an insurance company may contract with a health insuring corporation to provide insurance or similar protection against the cost of care provided through health insuring corporations and to provide coverage in the event of the failure of the health insuring corporation to meet its obligations. The enrollees of a health insuring corporation constitute a permissible group under such laws. Among other things, under such contracts, the insurer may make benefit payments to health insuring corporations for health care services rendered by facilities and providers pursuant to a health care plan.

Section 1751.42 | Rehabilitation, liquidation, supervision or conservation of corporation.

• Effective: June 4, 1997
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 67 - 122nd General Assembly

Any rehabilitation, liquidation, supervision, or conservation of a health insuring corporation shall be deemed to be the rehabilitation, liquidation, supervision, or conservation of an insurance company and shall be conducted under the supervision of the superintendent of insurance pursuant to Chapter 3903. of the Revised Code.

Section 1751.44 | Fees paid to superintendent of insurance.

• Effective: June 4, 1997
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 67 - 122nd General Assembly

(A) Each health insuring corporation shall pay to the superintendent of insurance the following fees:

(1) For filing an application for a certificate of authority, fifteen hundred dollars;

(2) For filing a request for a service area expansion under section 1751.03 of the Revised Code, three hundred dollars;

(3) For filing a major modification under section 1751.03 of the Revised Code, three hundred dollars;

(4) For filing each annual report, twenty-five dollars;

(5) For all other required filings for which no filing fee is otherwise provided for by this chapter, fifty dollars.

(B) All fees collected under this section shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the department of insurance operating fund.

Section 1751.45 | Administrative penalties - violations.

• Effective: October 16, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 128th General Assembly

(A) In lieu of the suspension or revocation of a certificate of authority under section 1751.35 of the Revised Code, the superintendent of insurance, pursuant to an adjudication hearing initiated and conducted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, or by consent of the health insuring corporation without an adjudication hearing, may levy an administrative penalty. The administrative penalty shall be in an amount determined by the superintendent, but the administrative penalty shall not exceed one hundred thousand dollars per violation. Additionally, the superintendent may require the health insuring corporation to correct any deficiency that may be the basis for the suspension or revocation of the health insuring corporation's certificate of authority. All penalties collected shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the department of insurance operating fund.

(B) If the superintendent for any reason has cause to believe that any violation of this chapter has occurred or is threatened, the superintendent may give notice to the health insuring corporation and to the representatives or other persons who appear to be involved in the suspected violation to arrange a conference with the suspected violators or their authorized representatives for the purpose of attempting to ascertain the facts relating to the suspected violation, and, if it appears that any violation has occurred or is threatened, to arrive at an adequate and effective means of correcting or preventing the violation.

Proceedings under this division shall not be covered by any formal procedural requirements, and may be conducted in the manner the superintendent may consider appropriate under the circumstances.

(C)(1) The superintendent may issue an order directing a health insuring corporation or a representative of the health insuring corporation to cease and desist from engaging in any act or practice in violation of this chapter. Within thirty days after service of the order to cease and desist, the respondent may request a hearing on the question of whether acts or practices in violation of this chapter have occurred. Such hearings shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code and judicial review shall be available as provided by that chapter.

(2) If the superintendent has reasonable cause to believe that an order issued pursuant to this division has been violated in whole or in part, the superintendent may request the attorney general to commence and prosecute any appropriate action or proceeding in the name of the state against the violators in the court of common pleas of Franklin county. The court in any such action or proceeding may levy civil penalties, not to exceed one hundred thousand dollars per violation, in addition to any other appropriate relief, including requiring a violator to pay the expenses reasonably incurred by the superintendent in enforcing the order. The penalties and fees collected under this division shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the department of insurance operating fund.

Section 1751.46 | Recommendations for expansion of service areas.

• Effective: October 16, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 128th General Assembly

(A) The superintendent of insurance may contract with qualified persons to make recommendations concerning the determinations required to be made by the superintendent relative to an expansion of a service area pursuant to division (C) of section 1751.03 of the Revised Code, an application for a certificate of authority pursuant to sections 1751.04 and 1751.05 of the Revised Code, a contractual periodic prepayment or premium rate pursuant to section 1751.12 of the Revised Code, and an examination pursuant to division (B) of section 1751.34 of the Revised Code. The recommendations may be accepted in full or in part, or may be rejected, by the superintendent.

The total cost of a contract with a qualified person pursuant to this division shall represent the fair market value of the services provided and shall be borne by the health insuring corporation that is the subject of the determination required to be made by the superintendent.

(B) No qualified person placed on contract by the superintendent pursuant to division (A) of this section shall have a conflict of interest with the department of insurance or the health insuring corporation.

Section 1751.47 | Adopting forms, instructions and manuals for providing financial information.

• Effective: June 4, 1997
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 67 - 122nd General Assembly

(A) The superintendent of insurance shall adopt the forms, instructions, and manuals prescribed by the national association of insurance commissioners for the preparation and filing of statutory financial statements and other financial information. However, the superintendent may by rule adopt modifications to such prescribed forms, instructions, and manuals as the superintendent considers to be necessary.

(B) For purposes of preparing statutory financial statements and other financial information involving circumstances not addressed by the forms, instructions, and manuals prescribed by the national association of insurance commissioners, the superintendent may determine accounting practices and methods to be used by health insuring corporations.

(C) The superintendent shall furnish each domestic health insuring corporation a copy of the forms for the filing of those statutory financial statements and other financial information as the corporation is required to file with the superintendent.

Section 1751.48 | Rules.

• Effective: October 16, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 128th General Assembly

The superintendent of insurance may adopt rules as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter. These rules shall be adopted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

Section 1751.51 | Restrictions on choice of providers.

• Effective: June 4, 1997
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 67 - 122nd General Assembly

If a health care plan of a health insuring corporation covers health care services that may be legally performed by a class of providers referred to in section 3923.23 or 3923.231 of the Revised Code but would restrict an enrollee's ability to receive these health care services from members of that class in any manner that differs from an enrollee's ability under the health care plan to receive these health care services from any other class of providers that may legally perform these health care services, then the health insuring corporation shall do both of the following:

(A) Set forth, within any evidence of coverage pertaining to the health care plan, under a heading that reads "Restrictions on Choice of Providers," a clear, concise, and complete statement of the restriction that conforms to the requirements of section 1751.11 of the Revised Code;

(B) Set forth, within any solicitation document pertaining to the health care plan and within any solicitation materials pertaining to the health care plan that the health insuring corporation provides to any employer or any employee benefit fund, under a heading that reads "Restrictions on Choice of Providers," a clear, concise, and complete statement of the restriction, such statement being subject to prior approval by the superintendent of insurance in accordance with the same form and content requirements that are specified in section 1751.11 of the Revised Code with regard to evidence of coverage.

Section 1751.52 | Confidentiality of information.

• Effective: June 4, 1997
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 67 - 122nd General Assembly

(A) All applications, filings, and reports required under this chapter shall be treated as public documents after the date the application, filing, or report becomes effective, regardless of the application of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act set forth in sections 1333.61 to 1333.69 of the Revised Code.

(B) Any data or information pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment, or health of any enrollee or applicant for enrollment that is obtained by the health insuring corporation from the enrollee or applicant, or from any health care facility or provider, shall be held in confidence and shall not be disclosed to any person except under one of the following circumstances:

(1) To the extent that it may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter;

(2) Upon the express consent of the enrollee or applicant;

(3) Pursuant to statute or court order for the production of evidence;

(4) In the event of claim litigation between such person and the health insuring corporation wherein such data or information is pertinent.

(C) A health insuring corporation shall be entitled to claim any statutory privileges against disclosure under division (B) of this section that the facility or provider who furnished the data or information to the health insuring corporation is entitled to claim.

Section 1751.521 | Medical information release.

• Effective: October 1, 1998
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 361 - 122nd General Assembly

If an enrollee signs a medical information release upon the request of a health insuring corporation, the release shall clearly explain what information may be disclosed under the terms of the release. If a health insuring corporation utilizes this release to request medical information from a health care facility or provider, the health insuring corporation shall provide a copy of the enrollee's release to the health care facility or provider, upon request.

Section 1751.53 | Continuing coverage after termination of employment.

• Effective: April 1, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 2 - 128th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Group contract" means a group health insuring corporation contract covering employees that meets either of the following conditions:

(a) The contract was issued by an entity that, on June 4, 1997, holds a certificate of authority or license to operate under Chapter 1738. or 1742. of the Revised Code, and covers an employee at the time the employee's employment is terminated.

(b) The contract is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state after June 4, 1997, and covers an employee at the time the employee's employment is terminated.

(2) "Eligible employee" means an employee to whom all of the following apply:

(a) The employee has been continuously covered under a group contract or under the contract and any prior similar group coverage replaced by the contract, during the entire three-month period preceding the termination of the employee's employment.

(b) The employee did not voluntarily terminate the employee's employment and the termination of employment is not a result of any gross misconduct on the part of the employee.

(c) The employee is not, and does not become, covered by or eligible for coverage by medicare.

(d) The employee is not, and does not become, covered by or eligible for coverage by any other insured or uninsured arrangement that provides hospital, surgical, or medical coverage for individuals in a group and under which the employee was not covered immediately prior to the termination of employment. A person eligible for continuation of coverage under this section, who is also eligible for coverage under section 3923.123 of the Revised Code, may elect either coverage, but not both. A person who elects continuation of coverage may elect any coverage available under section 3923.123 of the Revised Code upon the termination of the continuation of coverage.

(B) A group contract shall provide that any eligible employee may continue the coverage under the contract, for the employee and the employee's eligible dependents, for a period of twelve months after the date that the group coverage would otherwise terminate by reason of the termination of the employee's employment. Each certificate of coverage issued to employees under the contract shall include a notice of the employee's privilege of continuation.

(C) All of the following apply to the continuation of group coverage required under division (B) of this section:

(1) Continuation need not include any supplemental health care services benefits or specialty health care services benefits provided by the group contract.

(2) The employer shall notify the employee of the right of continuation at the time the employer notifies the employee of the termination of employment. The notice shall inform the employee of the amount of contribution required by the employer under division (C)(4) of this section.

(3) The employee shall file a written election of continuation with the employer and pay the employer the first contribution required under division (C)(4) of this section. The request and payment must be received by the employer no later than the earlier of any of the following dates:

(a) Thirty-one days after the date on which the employee's coverage would otherwise terminate;

(b) Ten days after the date on which the employee's coverage would otherwise terminate, if the employer has notified the employee of the right of continuation prior to this date;

(c) Ten days after the employer notifies the employee of the right of continuation, if the notice is given after the date on which the employee's coverage would otherwise terminate.

(4) The employee must pay to the employer, on a monthly basis, in advance, the amount of contribution required by the employer. The amount required shall not exceed the group rate for the insurance being continued under the policy on the due date of each payment.

(5) The employee's privilege to continue coverage and the coverage under any continuation ceases if any of the following occurs:

(a) The employee ceases to be an eligible employee under division (A)(2)(c) or (d) of this section;

(b) A period of twelve months expires after the date that the employee's coverage under the group contract would otherwise have terminated because of the termination of employment;

(c) The employee fails to make a timely payment of a required contribution, in which event the coverage shall cease at the end of the coverage for which contributions were made;

(d) The group contract is terminated, or the employer terminates participation under the contract, unless the employer replaces the coverage by similar coverage under another contract or other group health arrangement. If the employer replaces the contract with similar group health coverage, all of the following apply:

(i) The member shall be covered under the replacement coverage, for the balance of the period that the member would have remained covered under the terminated coverage if it had not been terminated.

(ii) The minimum level of benefits under the replacement coverage shall be the applicable level of benefits of the contract replaced reduced by any benefits payable under the contract replaced.

(iii) The contract replaced shall continue to provide benefits to the extent of its accrued liabilities and extensions of benefits as if the replacement had not occurred.

(D) This section does not apply to any group contract offering only supplemental health care services or specialty health care services.

(E) An employer shall notify the health insuring corporation if the employee elects continuation of coverage under this section. The health insuring corporation may require the employer to provide documentation if the employee elects continuation of coverage and is seeking premium assistance for the continuation of coverage under the "American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009," Pub. L. No. 111-5, 123 Stat. 115. The director of insurance shall publish guidance for employers and health insuring corporations regarding the contents of such documentation.

Section 1751.54 | Continuing coverage after reservist called to duty.

• Effective: November 2, 2001
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 164 - 124th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Eligible person" means any person who, at the time a reservist is called or ordered to active duty, is covered under a group contract and is either of the following:

(a) An employee who is a reservist called or ordered to active duty;

(b) The spouse or a dependent child of an employee described in division (A)(1)(a) of this section.

(2) "Group contract" includes any group health insuring corporation contract that satisfies all of the following:

(a) The contract is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state on or after June 4, 1997.

(b) The contract covers employees for health care services, including basic health care services.

(c) The contract is in effect and covers an eligible person at the time a reservist is called or ordered to active duty.

(3) "Reservist" means a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States. "Reservist" includes a member of the Ohio national guard.

(B) Every group contract shall provide that any eligible person may continue the coverage under the contract for a period of eighteen months after the date on which the coverage would otherwise terminate because the reservist is called or ordered to active duty.

(C)(1) An eligible person may extend the eighteen-month period of continuation of coverage to a thirty-six-month period of continuation of coverage, if any of the following occurs during the eighteen-month period:

(a) The death of the reservist;

(b) The divorce or separation of a reservist from the reservist's spouse;

(c) The cessation of dependency of a child pursuant to the terms of the contract.

(2) The thirty-six-month period of continuation of coverage is deemed to begin on the date on which the coverage would otherwise terminate because the reservist is called or ordered to active duty.

(3) The employer may begin the thirty-six-month period on the date of any occurrence described in division (C)(1) of this section.

(D) All of the following apply to any continuation of coverage, or the extension of any continuation of coverage, provided under division (B) or (C) of this section:

(1) The continuation of coverage shall provide the same benefits as those provided to any similarly situated eligible person who is covered under the same group contract and an employee who has not been called or ordered to active duty.

(2) An employer shall notify each employee of the right of continuation of coverage at the time of employment. At the time the reservist is called or ordered to active duty, the employer shall notify each eligible person of the requirements for the continuation of coverage.

(3) Each certificate of coverage issued by a health insuring corporation to an employee under the group contract shall include a notice of the eligible person's right of continuation of coverage.

(4) An eligible person shall file a written election of continuation of coverage with the employer and pay the employer the first contribution required under division (D)(5) of this section. The written election and payment must be received by the employer no later than thirty-one days after the date on which the eligible person's coverage would otherwise terminate. If the employer notifies the eligible person of the right of continuation of coverage after the date on which the eligible person's coverage would otherwise terminate, the written election and payment must be received by the employer no later than thirty-one days after the date of the notification.

(5)(a) Except as provided in division (D)(5)(b) or (c) of this section, the eligible person shall pay to the employer, on a monthly basis and in advance, the amount of contribution required by the employer. The amount shall not exceed one hundred two per cent of the group rate for the coverage being continued under the group contract on the due date of each payment.

(b) The employer may pay a portion or all of the eligible person's contribution.

(c) A reservist called or ordered to active duty for less than thirty-one days shall not be required to pay more than the eligible person's contribution, if any, for the coverage.

(E) The eligible person's right to any continuation of coverage, or the extension of any continuation of coverage, provided under division (B) or (C) of this section ceases on the date on which any of the following occurs:

(1) The eligible person, whether as an employee or otherwise, becomes covered by another group contract or other group health plan or arrangement that does not contain any exclusion or limitation with respect to any preexisting condition of that eligible person. For purposes of division (E)(1) of this section, a group contract or other group health plan or arrangement does not include the civilian health and medical program of the uniformed services as defined in Public Law 99-661, 100 Stat. 3898 (1986), 10 U.S.C.A. 1072.

(2) The period of either eighteen months provided under division (B) of this section or thirty-six months provided under division (C) of this section expires.

(3) The eligible person fails to make a timely payment of a required contribution, in which case the coverage ceases at the end of the period of coverage for which contributions were made.

(4) The group contract, or participation under the group contract, is terminated, unless the employer, in accordance with division (F) of this section, replaces the coverage with similar coverage under another group contract or other group health plan or arrangement.

(F) If the employer replaces the group contract with similar coverage as described in division (E)(4) of this section, both of the following apply:

(1) The eligible person is covered under the replacement coverage for the balance of the period that the person would have remained covered under the terminated coverage if it had not been terminated.

(2) The level of benefits under the replacement coverage is the same as the level of benefits provided to any similarly situated eligible person who is covered under the group contract and an employee who has not been called or ordered to active duty.

(G) Upon the reservist's release from active duty and the reservist's return to employment for the employer by whom the reservist was employed at the time the reservist was called or ordered to active duty, both of the following apply:

(1) Every eligible person is entitled, without any waiting period, to coverage under the employer's group contract that is in effect at the time of the reservist's return to employment.

(2) Every eligible person is entitled to all benefits under the group contract described in division (G)(1) of this section from the date of the original coverage under the contract.

(H)(1) No health insuring corporation shall fail to provide for a continuation of coverage, or an extension of a continuation of coverage, in a group contract as required by and in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth under this section.

(2) No health insuring corporation shall fail to issue a certificate of coverage in compliance with division (D)(3) of this section.

(3) No employer shall fail to provide an employee or eligible person with notice of the right to a continuation of coverage under a group contract in accordance with division (D)(2) of this section.

(I) Whoever violates division (H)(1), (2), or (3) of this section is deemed to have engaged in an unfair and deceptive act or practice in the business of insurance under sections 3901.19 to 3901.26 of the Revised Code.

(J) This section does not apply to any group contract offering only supplemental health care services or specialty health care services.

Section 1751.55 | Effect of workers compensation coverage.

• Effective: March 22, 1999
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 698 - 122nd General Assembly

A health insuring corporation policy, contract, or agreement shall not be construed to exclude illness or injury upon the ground that the subscriber might have elected to have such illness or injury covered by workers' compensation under Chapter 4123. of the Revised Code unless the policy, contract, or agreement clearly excludes work or occupational related illness or injury, or the policy, contract, or agreement, or a separate writing signed by the subscriber, informs the subscriber that such coverage is excluded and may be available to the subscriber under workers' compensation as the sole proprietor of a business, a member of a partnership, or an officer of a family farm corporation.

Section 1751.56 | Effect of supplemental sickness and accident insurance policy.

• Effective: June 4, 1997
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 67 - 122nd General Assembly

(A) No individual or group health insuring corporation policy, contract, or agreement shall be delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state, if the policy, contract, or agreement excludes or reduces the benefits payable to or on behalf of an insured because benefits are also payable or have been paid under a supplemental sickness and accident insurance policy to which all of the following apply:

(1) The policy covers a specified disease or a limited plan of coverage.

(2) The policy is specifically designed, advertised, represented, and sold as a supplement to other basic sickness and accident insurance coverage.

(3) The entire premium for the policy is paid by the insured, the insured's family, or the insured's guardian.

(B) This section applies to supplemental sickness and accident insurance policies irrespective of the mode or channel of premium payment to the insurer or of any reduction in the premium by virtue of the insured's membership in any health insuring corporation or the insured's status as an employee.

Section 1751.57 | Conditions applying to all individual health insuring corporation contracts.

• Effective: June 30, 1997
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 374 - 122nd General Assembly

(A) The following conditions apply to all individual health insuring corporation contracts:

(1) Except as provided in section 2742(b) to (e) of the "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996," Pub. L. No. 104-191, 110 Stat. 1955, 42 U.S.C.A. 300gg-42, as amended, a health insuring corporation that provides individual coverage to an individual shall renew or continue in force such coverage at the option of the individual.

(2) Such individual contracts are subject to sections 2743 and 2747 of the "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996."

(3) Sections 3924.031 and 3924.032 of the Revised Code shall apply to health insuring corporation contracts offered in the individual market in the same manner as they apply to health benefit plans offered in the small employer market.

(B) In accordance with 45 C.F.R. 148.102, this section also applies to all group health insuring corporation contracts that are not sold in connection with an employment-related group health care plan and that provide more than short-term, limited duration coverage.

Section 1751.58 | Conditions applying to all group health insuring corporation contracts sold in connection with employment-related group health care plan.

• Effective: March 22, 1999
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 698 - 122nd General Assembly

Except as otherwise provided in section 2721 of the "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996," Pub. L. No. 104-191, 110 Stat. 1955, 42 U.S.C.A. 300gg-21, as amended, the following conditions apply to all group health insuring corporation contracts that are sold in connection with an employment-related group health care plan and that are not subject to section 3924.03 of the Revised Code:

(A)(1) Except as provided in section 2712(b) to (e) of the "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996," if a health insuring corporation offers coverage in the small or large group market in connection with a group contract, the corporation shall renew or continue in force such coverage at the option of the contract holder.

(2) A health insuring corporation may cancel or decide not to renew the coverage of any eligible employee or of a dependent of an eligible employee under the group contract in accordance with division (B) of section 1751.18 of the Revised Code.

(B) Such group contracts are subject to division (A)(3) of section 3924.03 and sections 3924.033 and 3924.27 of the Revised Code.

(C) Such group contracts shall provide for the special enrollment periods described in section 2701(f) of the "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996."

(D) At least once in every twelve-month period, a health insuring corporation shall provide to all late enrollees, as defined in section 3924.01 of the Revised Code, who are identified by the contract holder, the option to enroll in the group contract. The enrollment option shall be provided for a minimum period of thirty consecutive days. All delays of coverage imposed under the group contract, including any affiliation period, shall begin on the date the health insuring corporation receives notice of the late enrollee's application or request for coverage, and shall run concurrently with each other.

Section 1751.59 | Coverage of adopted children.

• Effective: March 22, 1999
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 698 - 122nd General Assembly

No individual or group health insuring corporation policy, contract, or agreement that makes family coverage available may be delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state, unless the policy, contract, or agreement covers adopted children of the subscriber on the same basis as other dependents.

The coverage required by this section is subject to the requirements and restrictions set forth in section 3924.51 of the Revised Code.

Section 1751.60 | Provider or facility limited to seek compensation for covered services solely from HIC.

• Effective: September 29, 2013
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly

(A) Except as provided for in divisions (E) and (F) of this section, every provider or health care facility that contracts with a health insuring corporation to provide health care services to the health insuring corporation's enrollees or subscribers shall seek compensation for covered services solely from the health insuring corporation and not, under any circumstances, from the enrollees or subscribers, except for approved copayments and deductibles.

(B) No subscriber or enrollee of a health insuring corporation is liable to any contracting provider or health care facility for the cost of any covered health care services, if the subscriber or enrollee has acted in accordance with the evidence of coverage.

(C) Except as provided for in divisions (E) and (F) of this section, every contract between a health insuring corporation and provider or health care facility shall contain a provision approved by the superintendent of insurance requiring the provider or health care facility to seek compensation solely from the health insuring corporation and not, under any circumstances, from the subscriber or enrollee, except for approved copayments and deductibles.

(D) Nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing a provider or health care facility from billing the enrollee or subscriber of a health insuring corporation for noncovered services.

(E) Upon application by a health insuring corporation and a provider or health care facility, the superintendent may waive the requirements of divisions (A) and (C) of this section when, in addition to the reserve requirements contained in section 1751.28 of the Revised Code, the health insuring corporation provides sufficient assurances to the superintendent that the provider or health care facility has been provided with financial guarantees. No waiver of the requirements of divisions (A) and (C) of this section is effective as to enrollees or subscribers for whom the health insuring corporation is compensated under a provider agreement or risk contract entered into under the medicaid program.

(F) The requirements of divisions (A) to (C) of this section apply only to health care services provided to an enrollee or subscriber prior to the effective date of a termination of a contract between the health insuring corporation and the provider or health care facility.

Section 1751.61 | Coverage for newly born child.

• Effective: June 30, 1997
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 374 - 122nd General Assembly

(A) Each individual or group evidence of coverage that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed by a health insuring corporation in this state, and that makes coverage available for family members of a subscriber, also shall provide that coverage applicable to children is payable from the moment of birth with respect to a newly born child of the subscriber or subscriber's spouse.

(B) Coverage for a newly born child is effective for a period of thirty-one days from the date of birth.

(C) To continue coverage for a newly born child beyond the thirty-one day period described in division (B) of this section, the subscriber shall notify the health insuring corporation within that period.

(D) If payment of a specific premium rate is required to provide coverage under this section for an additional child, the evidence of coverage may require the subscriber to make this payment to the health insuring corporation within the thirty-one day period described in division (B) of this section in order to continue the coverage beyond that period.

Section 1751.62 | Screening mammography - cytologic screening for cervical cancer.

• Effective: September 23, 2022
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 371 - 134th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Screening mammography" means a radiologic examination utilized to detect unsuspected breast cancer at an early stage in an asymptomatic woman and includes the x-ray examination of the breast using equipment that is dedicated specifically for mammography, including, but not limited to, the x-ray tube, filter, compression device, screens, film, and cassettes, and that has an average radiation exposure delivery of less than one rad mid-breast. "Screening mammography" includes digital breast tomosynthesis. "Screening mammography" includes two views for each breast. The term also includes the professional interpretation of the film.

"Screening mammography" does not include diagnostic mammography.

(2) "Medicare reimbursement rate" means the reimbursement rate paid in Ohio under the medicare program for screening mammography that does not include digitization or computer-aided detection, regardless of whether the actual benefit includes digitization or computer-aided detection.

(3) "Supplemental breast cancer screening" means any additional screening method deemed medically necessary by a treating health care provider for proper breast cancer screening in accordance with applicable American college of radiology guidelines, including magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, or molecular breast imaging.

(B) Notwithstanding section 3901.71 of the Revised Code, every individual or group health insuring corporation policy, contract, or agreement providing basic health care services that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state shall provide benefits for the expenses of all of the following:

(1) To detect the presence of breast cancer in adult women, screening mammography;

(2) To detect the presence of breast cancer in adult women meeting either of the conditions described in division (C)(2) of this section, supplemental breast cancer screening;

(3) To detect the presence of cervical cancer, cytologic screening.

(C)(1) The benefits provided under division (B)(1) of this section shall cover expenses for one screening mammography every year, including digital breast tomosynthesis.

(2) The benefits provided under division (B)(2) of this section shall cover expenses for supplemental breast cancer screening for an adult woman who meets either of the following conditions:

(a) The woman's screening mammography demonstrates, based on the breast imaging reporting and data system established by the American college of radiology, that the woman has dense breast tissue;

(b) The woman is at an increased risk of breast cancer due to family history, prior personal history of breast cancer, ancestry, genetic predisposition, or other reasons as determined by the woman's health care provider.

(D)(1) Subject to divisions (D)(2) and (3) of this section, if a provider, hospital, or other health care facility provides a service that is a component of the screening mammography benefit in division (B)(1) of this section or a component of the supplemental breast cancer screening benefit in division (B)(2) of this section and submits a separate claim for that component, a separate payment shall be made to the provider, hospital, or other health care facility in an amount that corresponds to the ratio paid by medicare in this state for that component.

(2) Regardless of whether separate payments are made for the benefit provided under division (B)(1) or (2) of this section, the total benefit for a screening mammography or supplemental breast cancer screening shall not exceed one hundred thirty per cent of the medicare reimbursement rate in this state for screening mammography or supplemental breast cancer screening. If there is more than one medicare reimbursement rate in this state for screening mammography or a component of a screening mammography or supplemental breast cancer screening or a component of supplemental breast cancer screening, the reimbursement limit shall be one hundred thirty per cent of the lowest medicare reimbursement rate in this state.

(3) The benefit paid in accordance with division (D)(1) of this section shall constitute full payment. No provider, hospital, or other health care facility shall seek or receive remuneration in excess of the payment made in accordance with division (D)(1) of this section, except for approved deductibles and copayments.

(E) The benefits provided under division (B)(1) or (2) of this section shall be provided only for screening mammographies or supplemental breast cancer screenings that are performed in a health care facility or mobile mammography screening unit that is accredited under the American college of radiology mammography accreditation program or in a hospital as defined in section 3727.01 of the Revised Code.

(F) The benefits provided under division (B) of this section shall be provided according to the terms of the subscriber contract.

(G) The benefits provided under division (B)(3) of this section shall be provided only for cytologic screenings that are processed and interpreted in a laboratory certified by the college of American pathologists or in a hospital as defined in section 3727.01 of the Revised Code.

Last updated July 14, 2022 at 3:04 PM

Section 1751.63 | Long-term care insurance.

• Effective: June 4, 1997
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 67 - 122nd General Assembly

Sections 3923.41 to 3923.48 of the Revised Code apply to every health insuring corporation that offers long-term care and that holds a certificate of authority under this chapter.

Section 1751.65 | Health insuring corporation - prohibited activities.

• Effective: April 6, 2023
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 281 - 134th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "genetic screening or testing" means a laboratory test of a person's genes or chromosomes for genotypes, mutations, or chromosomal changes, including carrier status, that are linked to physical or mental disorders or impairments, or that indicate a susceptibility to illness, disease, or other disorders, whether physical or mental, which test is a direct test for genotypes, mutations, or chromosomal changes, and not an indirect manifestation of genetic disorders.

(B) No health insuring corporation shall do either of the following:

(1) Consider any information obtained from genetic screening or testing in processing an application for coverage for health care services under an individual or group policy, contract, or agreement or in determining insurability under such a policy, contract, or agreement;

(2) Inquire, directly or indirectly, into the results of genetic screening or testing or use such information, in whole or in part, to cancel, refuse to issue or renew, limit benefits under, or set premiums for, an individual or group policy, contract, or agreement.

(C) Any health insuring corporation that has engaged in, is engaged in, or is about to engage in a violation of division (B) of this section is subject to the jurisdiction of the superintendent of insurance under section 3901.04 of the Revised Code.

Last updated March 10, 2023 at 11:09 AM

Section 1751.66 | Prescription drugs.

• Effective: December 26, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 218 - 129th General Assembly

(A) No individual or group health insuring corporation policy, contract, or agreement that provides coverage for prescription drugs shall limit or exclude coverage for any drug approved by the United States food and drug administration on the basis that the drug has not been approved by the United States food and drug administration for the treatment of the particular indication for which the drug has been prescribed, provided the drug has been recognized as safe and effective for treatment of that indication in one or more of the standard medical reference compendia adopted by the United States department of health and human services under 42 U.S.C. 1395x(t)(2), as amended, or in medical literature that meets the criteria specified in division (B) of this section.

(B) Medical literature may be accepted for purposes of division (A) of this section only if all of the following apply:

(1) Two articles from major peer-reviewed professional medical journals have recognized, based on scientific or medical criteria, the drug's safety and effectiveness for treatment of the indication for which it has been prescribed;

(2) No article from a major peer-reviewed professional medical journal has concluded, based on scientific or medical criteria, that the drug is unsafe or ineffective or that the drug's safety and effectiveness cannot be determined for the treatment of the indication for which it has been prescribed;

(3) Each article meets the uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals established by the international committee of medical journal editors or is published in a journal specified by the United States department of health and human services pursuant to Section 1861(t)(2)(B) of the "Social Security Act," 107 Stat. 591 (1993), 42 U.S.C. 1395 (x)(t)(2)(B), as amended, as accepted peer-reviewed medical literature.

(C) Coverage of a drug required by division (A) of this section includes medically necessary services associated with the administration of the drug.

(D) Division (A) of this section shall not be construed to do any of the following:

(1) Require coverage for any drug if the United States food and drug administration has determined its use to be contraindicated for the treatment of the particular indication for which the drug has been prescribed;

(2) Require coverage for experimental drugs not approved for any indication by the United States food and drug administration;

(3) Alter any law with regard to provisions limiting the coverage of drugs that have not been approved by the United States food and drug administration;

(4) Require reimbursement or coverage for any drug not included in the drug formulary or list of covered drugs specified in a health insuring corporation contract;

(5) Prohibit a health insuring corporation from limiting or excluding coverage of a drug, provided that the decision to limit or exclude coverage of the drug is not based primarily on the coverage of drugs required by this section.

(E) This section applies only to health insuring corporation policies, contracts, and agreements that are described in division (A) of this section and that are delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state on or after July 1, 1997.

Section 1751.67 | Maternity benefits.

• Effective: April 6, 2017
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 216 - 131st General Assembly

(A) Each individual or group health insuring corporation policy, contract, or agreement delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state that provides maternity benefits shall provide coverage of inpatient care and follow-up care for a mother and her newborn as follows:

(1) The policy, contract, or agreement shall cover a minimum of forty-eight hours of inpatient care following a normal vaginal delivery and a minimum of ninety-six hours of inpatient care following a cesarean delivery. Services covered as inpatient care shall include medical, educational, and any other services that are consistent with the inpatient care recommended in the protocols and guidelines developed by national organizations that represent pediatric, obstetric, and nursing professionals.

(2) The policy, contract, or agreement shall cover a physician-directed source of follow-up care or a source of follow-up care directed by an advanced practice registered nurse. Services covered as follow-up care shall include physical assessment of the mother and newborn, parent education, assistance and training in breast or bottle feeding, assessment of the home support system, performance of any medically necessary and appropriate clinical tests, and any other services that are consistent with the follow-up care recommended in the protocols and guidelines developed by national organizations that represent pediatric, obstetric, and nursing professionals. The coverage shall apply to services provided in a medical setting or through home health care visits. The coverage shall apply to a home health care visit only if the provider who conducts the visit is knowledgeable and experienced in maternity and newborn care.

When a decision is made in accordance with division (B) of this section to discharge a mother or newborn prior to the expiration of the applicable number of hours of inpatient care required to be covered, the coverage of follow-up care shall apply to all follow-up care that is provided within seventy-two hours after discharge. When a mother or newborn receives at least the number of hours of inpatient care required to be covered, the coverage of follow-up care shall apply to follow-up care that is determined to be medically necessary by the provider responsible for discharging the mother or newborn.

(B) Any decision to shorten the length of inpatient stay to less than that specified under division (A)(1) of this section shall be made by the physician attending the mother or newborn, except that if a certified nurse-midwife is attending the mother in collaboration with a physician, the decision may be made by the certified nurse-midwife. Decisions regarding early discharge shall be made only after conferring with the mother or a person responsible for the mother or newborn. For purposes of this division, a person responsible for the mother or newborn may include a parent, guardian, or any other person with authority to make medical decisions for the mother or newborn.

(C)(1) No health insuring corporation may do either of the following:

(a) Terminate the participation of a provider or health care facility in an individual or group health care plan solely for making recommendations for inpatient or follow-up care for a particular mother or newborn that are consistent with the care required to be covered by this section;

(b) Establish or offer monetary or other financial incentives for the purpose of encouraging a person to decline the inpatient or follow-up care required to be covered by this section.

(2) Whoever violates division (C)(1)(a) or (b) of this section has engaged in an unfair and deceptive act or practice in the business of insurance under sections 3901.19 to 3901.26 of the Revised Code.

(D) This section does not do any of the following:

(1) Require a policy, contract, or agreement to cover inpatient or follow-up care that is not received in accordance with the policy's, contract's, or agreement's terms pertaining to the providers and facilities from which an individual is authorized to receive health care services;

(2) Require a mother or newborn to stay in a hospital or other inpatient setting for a fixed period of time following delivery;

(3) Require a child to be delivered in a hospital or other inpatient setting;

(4) Authorize a certified nurse-midwife to practice beyond the authority to practice nurse-midwifery in accordance with Chapter 4723. of the Revised Code;

(5) Establish minimum standards of medical diagnosis, care, or treatment for inpatient or follow-up care for a mother or newborn. A deviation from the care required to be covered under this section shall not, solely on the basis of this section, give rise to a medical claim or to derivative claims for relief, as those terms are defined in section 2305.113 of the Revised Code.

Section 1751.68 | Provisions for medication synchronization for enrollees.

• Effective: March 22, 2020
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 229 - 132nd General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Cost-sharing" means the cost to an enrollee under an individual or group health insuring corporation policy, contract, or agreement according to any coverage limit, copayment, coinsurance, deductible, or other out-of-pocket expense requirements imposed by the policy, contract, or agreement.

(2) "Drug" has the same meaning as in section 4729.01 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Medication synchronization" means a pharmacy service that synchronizes the filling or refilling of prescriptions in a manner that allows the dispensed drugs to be obtained on the same date each month.

(4) "Prescriber" has the same meaning as in section 4729.01 of the Revised Code.

(5) "Prescription" means a written, electronic, or oral order issued by a prescriber for drugs or combinations or mixtures of drugs to be used by a particular individual.

(B) Notwithstanding section 3901.71 of the Revised Code, each health insuring corporation policy, contract, or agreement that provides prescription drug coverage shall provide for medication synchronization for an enrollee if all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The enrollee elects to participate in medication synchronization;

(2) The enrollee, the prescriber, and a pharmacist at a network pharmacy agree that medication synchronization is in the best interest of the enrollee;

(3) The prescription drug to be included in the medication synchronization meets the requirements of division (C) of this section.

(C) To be eligible for inclusion in medication synchronization for an enrollee, a prescription drug must meet all of the following requirements:

(1) Be covered by the policy, contract, or agreement;

(2) Be prescribed for the treatment and management of a chronic disease or condition and be subject to refills;

(3) Satisfy all relevant prior authorization criteria;

(4) Not have quantity limits, dose optimization criteria, or other requirements that would be violated if synchronized;

(5) Not have special handling or sourcing needs, as determined by the policy, contract, or agreement, that require a single, designated pharmacy to fill or refill the prescription;

(6) Be formulated so that the quantity or amount dispensed can be effectively divided in order to achieve synchronization;

(7) Not be a schedule II controlled substance, opioid analgesic, or benzodiazepine, as those terms are defined in section 3719.01 of the Revised Code.

(D)(1) To provide for medication synchronization under division (B) of this section, a policy, contract, or agreement shall authorize coverage of a prescription drug subject to medication synchronization when the drug is dispensed in a quantity or amount that is less than a thirty-day supply.

(2) The requirement of division (D)(1) of this section applies only once for each prescription drug subject to medication synchronization for the same enrollee, except when either of the following occurs:

(a) The prescriber changes the dosage or frequency of administration of the prescription drug subject to medication synchronization.

(b) The prescriber prescribes a different drug.

(E)(1) A policy, contract, or agreement that provides for medication synchronization under division (B) of this section shall permit and apply a prorated daily cost-sharing rate for a supply of a prescription drug subject to medication synchronization that is dispensed at a network pharmacy.

(2) Division (E)(1) of this section does not require a policy, contract, or agreement to waive any cost-sharing requirement in its entirety.

(F) A policy, contract, or agreement that provides for medication synchronization under division (B) of this section shall not use payment structures that incorporate dispensing fees that are determined by calculating the days' supply of drugs dispensed. Dispensing fees shall be based exclusively on the total number of prescriptions that are filled or refilled.

(G) This section does not require a health insuring corporation to provide to a network pharmacy or a pharmacist at a network pharmacy any monetary or other financial incentive for the purpose of encouraging the pharmacy or pharmacist to recommend medication synchronization to an enrollee.

Section 1751.69 | Cancer chemotherapy; coverage for orally and intravenously administered treatments.

• Effective: March 23, 2015
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 201 - 130th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "cost sharing" means the cost to an individual insured under an individual or group health insuring corporation policy, contract, or agreement according to any coverage limit, copayment, coinsurance, deductible, or other out-of-pocket expense requirements imposed by the policy, contract, or agreement.

(B) Notwithstanding section 3901.71 of the Revised Code and subject to division (D) of this section, no individual or group health insuring corporation policy, contract, or agreement providing basic health care services or prescription drug services that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state, if the policy, contract, or agreement provides coverage for cancer chemotherapy treatment, shall fail to comply with either of the following:

(1) The policy, contract, or agreement shall not provide coverage or impose cost sharing for a prescribed, orally administered cancer medication on a less favorable basis than the coverage it provides or cost sharing it imposes for intraveneously administered or injected cancer medications.

(2) The policy, contract, or agreement shall not comply with division (B)(1) of this section by imposing an increase in cost sharing solely for orally administered, intravenously administered, or injected cancer medications.

(C) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, an individual or group health insuring corporation policy, contract, or agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with this section if the cost sharing imposed under such a policy, contract, or agreement for orally administered cancer treatments does not exceed one hundred dollars per prescription fill. The costsharing limit of one hundred dollars per prescription fill shall apply to a high deductible plan, as defined in 26 U.S.C. 223, or a catastrophic plan, as defined in 42 U.S.C. 18022, only after the deductible has been met.

(D) The prohibitions in division (B) of this section do not preclude an individual or group health insuring corporation policy, contract, or agreement from requiring an enrollee to obtain prior authorization before orally administered cancer medication is dispensed to the enrollee.

(E) A health insuring corporation that offers coverage for basic health care services is not required to comply with division (B) of this section if all of the following apply:

(1) The health insuring corporation submits documentation certified by an independent member of the American academy of actuaries to the superintendent of insurance showing that compliance with division (B)(1) of this section for a period of at least six months independently caused the health insuring corporation's costs for claims and administrative expenses for the coverage of basic health care services to increase by more than one per cent per year.

(2) The health insuring corporation submits a signed letter from an independent member of the American academy of actuaries to the superintendent of insurance opining that the increase in costs described in division (E)(1) of this section could reasonably justify an increase of more than one per cent in the annual premiums or rates charged by the health insuring corporation for the coverage of basic health care services.

(3)(a) The superintendent of insurance makes the following determinations from the documentation and opinion submitted pursuant to divisions (E)(1) and (2) of this section:

(i) Compliance with division (B)(1) of this section for a period of at least six months independently caused the health insuring corporation's costs for claims and administrative expenses for the coverage of basic health care services to increase more than one per cent per year.

(ii) The increase in costs reasonably justifies an increase of more than one per cent in the annual premiums or rates charged by the health insuring corporation for the coverage of basic health care services.

(b) Any determination made by the superintendent under division (E)(3) of this section is subject to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

Section 1751.691 | Prior authorization requirements or other utilization review measures as conditions of providing coverage of an opioid analgesic.

• Effective: April 6, 2017
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 319 - 131st General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Benzodiazepine" has the same meaning as in section 3719.01 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Chronic pain" has the same meaning as in section 4731.052 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Hospice care program" and "hospice patient" have the same meanings as in section 3712.01 of the Revised Code.

(4) "Opioid analgesic" has the same meaning as in section 3719.01 of the Revised Code.

(5) "Prescriber" has the same meaning as in section 4729.01 of the Revised Code.

(6) "Terminal condition" means an irreversible, incurable, and untreatable condition that is caused by disease, illness, or injury and will likely result in death. A terminal condition is one in which there can be no recovery, although there may be periods of remission.

(B)(1) An individual or group health insuring corporation policy, contract, or agreement that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state and covers prescription drugs shall contain prior authorization requirements or other utilization review measures as conditions of providing coverage of an opioid analgesic prescribed for the treatment of chronic pain, except when the drug is prescribed under one of the following circumstances:

(a) To an individual who is a hospice patient in a hospice c are program;

(b) To an individual who has been diagnosed with a terminal condition but is not a hospice patient in a hospice care program;

(c) To an individual who has cancer or another condition associated with the individual's cancer or history of cancer.

(2) When implementing division (B)(1) of this section, the health insuring corporation shall consider either or both of the following, as applicable to the case in which the opioid analgesic is prescribed:

(a) If the course of treatment with the drug continues for more than ninety days, the requirements of section 4731.052 of the Revised Code;

(b) If the morphine equivalent daily dose for the drug exceeds eighty milligrams or the individual is being treated with a benzodiazepine at the time the opioid analgesic is prescribed, the guidelines established by the governor's cabinet opiate action team and presented in the document titled "Ohio Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for the Treatment of Chronic, Non-terminal Pain 80 mg of a Morphine Equivalent Daily Dose (MED) 'Trigger Point'" or a successor document, unless the guidelines are no longer in effect at the time the opioid analgesic is prescribed.

(C) If a health insuring corporation measures the efficiency, quality of care, or clinical performance of a prescriber, including through the use of patient satisfaction surveys, it shall not penalize the prescriber, financially or otherwise, for deciding not to prescribe an opioid analgesic.

Section 1751.70 | Authorization of payroll deductions for public employees.

• Effective: June 4, 1997
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 67 - 122nd General Assembly

(A) An employee of the state, of any political subdivision of the state, or of any institution supported in whole or in part by the state, may authorize the deduction from the employee's salary or wages of the amount of the employee's premium rate to any health insuring corporation holding a certificate of authority pursuant to this chapter. The employee's authorization shall be evidenced by approval of the head of the department, division, office, or institution in which the employee is employed.

(B) In the case of employees of the state, the employee's authorization shall be directed to and filed with the director of administrative services. In the case of employees of a political subdivision, the employee's authorization shall be directed to and filed with the fiscal officer of such political subdivision. In the case of employees of any institution supported in whole or in part by the state, the employee's authorization shall be directed to and filed with the fiscal officer of such institution.

(C) Upon the filing of the employee's authorization in accordance with division (B) of this section, the director or fiscal officer shall provide for payment to the health insuring corporation referred to in the employee's authorization, for the amount covering the sum of the deductions thereby authorized.

Section 1751.71 | Accepting payments for cost of policies, contracts, and agreements.

• Effective: June 4, 1997
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 67 - 122nd General Assembly

Each health insuring corporation subject to this chapter may accept from governmental agencies, or from private persons, payments covering all or part of the cost of policies, contracts, and agreements entered into between the health insuring corporation and its subscribers or groups of subscribers.

Section 1751.72 | Policy, contract, or agreement containing a prior authorization requirement.

• Effective: September 29, 2017
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Chronic condition" means a medical condition that has persisted after reasonable efforts have been made to relieve or cure its cause and has continued, either continuously or episodically, for longer than six continuous months.

(2) "Clinical peer" means a health care practitioner in the same, or in a similar, specialty that typically manages the medical condition, procedure, or treatment under review.

(3) "Covered person" means a person receiving coverage for health services under a policy, contract, or agreement issued by a health insuring corporation.

(4) "Emergency services" has the same meaning as in section 1753.28 of the Revised Code.

(5) "Fraudulent or materially incorrect information" means any type of intentional deception or misrepresentation made by a person with the knowledge that the deception could result in some unauthorized benefit to the covered person in question.

(6) "Health care practitioner" has the same meaning as in section 3701.74 of the Revised Code.

(7) "NCPDP SCRIPT standard" means the national council for prescription drug programs SCRIPT standard version 201310 or the most recent standard adopted by the the United States department of health and human services.

(8) "Prior authorization requirement" means any practice implemented by a health insuring corporation in which coverage of a health care service, device, or drug is dependent upon a covered person or a health care practitioner obtaining approval from the health insuring corporation prior to the service, device, or drug being performed, received, or prescribed, as applicable. "Prior authorization" includes prospective or utilization review procedures conducted prior to providing a health care service, device, or drug.

(9) "Urgent care services" means a medical care or other service for a condition where application of the timeframe for making routine or non-life threatening care determinations is either of the following:

(a) Could seriously jeopardize the life, health, or safety of the patient or others due to the patient's psychological state;

(b) In the opinion of a practitioner with knowledge of the patient's medical or behavioral condition, would subject the patient to adverse health consequences without the care or treatment that is the subject of the request.

(10) "Utilization review" and "utilization review organization" have the same meanings as in section 1751.77 of the Revised Code.

(B) If a policy, contract, or agreement issued by a health insuring corporation contains a prior authorization requirement, then all of the following apply:

(1) On or before January 1, 2018, the health insuring corporation shall permit health care practitioners to access the prior authorization form through the applicable electronic software system.

(2)(a) For policies issued on or after January 1, 2018, the health insuring corporation or other payer acting on behalf of the health insuring corporation, shall accept prior authorization requests through a secure electronic transmission.

(b) For policies issued on or after January 1, 2018, the health insuring corporation, a pharmacy benefit manager responsible for handling prior authorization requests, or other payer acting on behalf of the health insuring corporation shall accept and respond to prior prescription benefit authorization requests through a secure electronic transmission using NCPDP SCRIPT standard ePA transactions, and for prior medical benefit authorization requests through a secure electronic transmission using standards established by the council for affordable quality health care on operating rules for information exchange or its successor.

(c) For purposes of division (B)(2) of this section, neither of the following shall be considered a secure electronic transmission:

(i) A facsimile;

(ii) A proprietary payer portal for prescription drug requests that does not use NCPDP SCRIPT standard.

(3) For policies issued on or after January 1, 2018, a health care practitioner and health insuring corporation may enter into a contractual arrangement under which the health insuring corporation agrees to process prior authorization requests that are not submitted electronically because of the financial hardship that electronic submission of prior authorization requests would create for the health care practitioner or if internet connectivity is limited or unavailable where the health care practitioner is located.

(4)(a) For policies issued on or after January 1, 2018, if the health care practitioner submits the request for prior authorization as described in divisions (B)(1) and (2) of this section, the health insuring corporation shall respond to all prior authorization requests within forty-eight hours for urgent care services, or ten calendar days for any prior authorization request that is not for an urgent care service, of the time the request is received by the health insuring corporation. Division (B)(4) of this section does not apply to emergency services.

(b) The response required under division (B)(4)(a) of this section shall indicate whether the request is approved or denied. If the prior authorization is denied, the health insuring corporation shall provide the specific reason for the denial.

(c) If the prior authorization request is incomplete, the health insuring corporation shall indicate the specific additional information that is required to process the request.

(5)(a) For policies issued on or after January 1, 2018, if a health care practitioner submits a prior authorization request as described in divisions (B)(1) and (2) of this section, the health insuring corporation shall provide an electronic receipt to the health care practitioner acknowledging that the prior authorization request was received.

(b) For policies issued on or after January 1, 2018, if a health insuring corporation requests additional information that is required to process a prior authorization request as described in division (B)(4)(c) of this section, the health care practitioner shall provide an electronic receipt to the health insuring corporation acknowledging that the request for additional information was received.

(6)(a) For policies issued on or after January 1, 2017, for a prior approval related to a chronic condition, the health insuring corporation shall honor a prior authorization approval for an approved drug for the lesser of the following from the date of the approval:

(i) Twelve months;

(ii) The last day of the covered person's eligibility under the policy, contract, or agreement.

(b) The duration of all other prior authorization approvals shall be dictated by the policy, contract, or agreement issued by the health insuring corporation.

(c) A health insuring corporation may, in relation to a prior approval under division (B)(6)(a) of this section, require a health care practitioner to submit information to the health insuring corporation indicating that the patient's chronic condition has not changed.

(i) The request for information by the health insuring corporation and the response by the health care practitioner shall be in an electronic format, which may be by electronic mail or other electronic communication.

(ii) The frequency of the submission of requested information shall be consistent with medical or scientific evidence as defined in section 3922.01 of the Revised Code, but shall not be required more frequently than quarterly.

(iii) If the health care practitioner does not respond within five calendar days from the date the request was received, the health insuring corporation may terminate the twelve-month approval.

(d) A twelve-month approval provided under division (B)(6)(a) of this section is no longer valid and automatically terminates if there are changes to federal or state laws or federal regulatory guidance or compliance information prescribing that the drug in question is no longer approved or safe for the intended purpose.

(e) A twelve-month approval provided under division (B)(6)(a) of this section does not apply to and is not required for any of the following:

(i) Medications that are prescribed for a non-maintenance condition;

(ii) Medications that have a typical treatment of less than one year;

(iii) Medications that require an initial trial period to determine effectiveness and tolerability, beyond which a one-year, or greater, prior authorization period will be given;

(iv) Medications where there is medical or scientific evidence as defined in section 3922.01 of the Revised Code that do not support a twelve-month prior approval;

(v) Medications that are a schedule I or II controlled substance or any opioid analgesic or benzodiazepine, as defined in section 3719.01 of the Revised Code;

(vi) Medications that are not prescribed by an in-network provider as part of a care management program.

(7) For policies issued on or after January 1, 2017, a health insuring corporation may, but is not required to, provide the twelve-month approval prescribed in division (B)(6)(a) of this section for a prescription drug that meets either of the following:

(a) The drug is prescribed or administered to treat a rare medical condition and pursuant to medical or scientific evidence as defined in section 3922.01 of the Revised Code.

(b) Medications that are controlled substances not included in division (B)(6)(e)(v) of this section.

For purposes of division (B)(7) of this section, "rare medical condition" means any disease or condition that affects fewer than two hundred thousand individuals in the United States.

(8) Nothing in division (B)(6) or (7) of this section prohibits the substitution, in accordance with section 4729.38 of the Revised Code, of any drug that has received a twelve-month approval under division (B)(6)(a) of this section when there is a release of either of the following:

(a) A United States food and drug administration approved comparable brand product or a generic counterpart of a brand product that is listed as therapeutically equivalent in the United States food and drug administration's publication titled approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence evaluations;

(b) An interchangeable biological product, as defined in section 3715.01 of the Revised Code.

(9)(a) For policies issued on or after January 1, 2017, upon written request, a health insuring corporation shall permit a retrospective review for a claim that is submitted for a service where prior authorization was required but not obtained if the service in question meets all of the following:

(i) The service is directly related to another service for which prior approval has already been obtained and that has already been performed.

(ii) The new service was not known to be needed at the time the original prior authorized service was performed.

(iii) The need for the new service was revealed at the time the original authorized service was performed.

(b) Once the written request and all necessary information is received, the health insuring corporation shall review the claim for coverage and medical necessity. The health insuring corporation shall not deny a claim for such a new service based solely on the fact that a prior authorization approval was not received for the new service in question.

(10)(a) For policies issued on or after January 1, 2017, the health insuring corporation shall disclose to all participating health care practitioners any new prior authorization requirement at least thirty days prior to the effective date of the new requirement.

(b) The notice may be sent via electronic mail or standard mail and shall be conspicuously entitled "Notice of Changes to Prior Authorization Requirements." The notice is not required to contain a complete listing of all changes made to the prior authorization requirements, but shall include specific information on where the health care practitioner may locate the information on the health insuring corporation's web site or, if applicable, the health insuring corporation's portal.

(c) All participating health care practitioners shall promptly notify the health insuring corporation of any changes to the health care practitioner's electronic mail or standard mail address.

(11)(a) For policies issued on or after January 1, 2017, the health insuring corporation shall make available to all participating health care practitioners on its web site or provider portal a listing of its prior authorization requirements, including specific information or documentation that a practitioner must submit in order for the prior authorization request to be considered complete.

(b) The health insuring corporation shall make available on its web site information about the policies, contracts, or agreements offered by the health insuring corporation that clearly identifies specific services, drugs, or devices to which a prior authorization requirement exists.

(12) For policies issued on or after January 1, 2018, the health insuring corporation shall establish a streamlined appeal process relating to adverse prior authorization determinations that shall include all of the following:

(a) For urgent care services, the appeal shall be considered within forty-eight hours after the health insuring corporation receives the appeal.

(b) For all other matters, the appeal shall be considered within ten calendar days after the health insuring corporation receives the appeal.

(c) The appeal shall be between the health care practitioner requesting the service in question and a clinical peer.

(d) If the appeal does not resolve the disagreement, either the covered person or an authorized representative as defined in section 3922.01 of the Revised Code may request an external review under Chapter 3922. of the Revised Code to the extent Chapter 3922. of the Revised Code is applicable.

(C) For policies issued on or after January 1, 2017, except in cases of fraudulent or materially incorrect information, a health insuring corporation shall not retroactively deny a prior authorization for a health care service, drug, or device when all of the following are met:

(1) The health care practitioner submits a prior authorization request to the health insuring corporation for a health care service, drug, or device.

(2) The health insuring corporation approves the prior authorization request after determining that all of the following are true:

(a) The patient is eligible under the health benefit plan.

(b) The health care service, drug, or device is covered under the patient's health benefit plan.

(c) The health care service, drug, or device meets the health insuring corporation's standards for medical necessity and prior authorization.

(3) The health care practitioner renders the health care service, drug, or device pursuant to the approved prior authorization request and all of the terms and conditions of the health care practitioner's contract with the health insuring corporation.

(4) On the date the health care practitioner renders the prior approved health care service, drug, or device, all of the following are true:

(a) The patient is eligible under the health benefit plan.

(b) The patient's condition or circumstances related to the patient's care has not changed.

(c) The health care practitioner submits an accurate claim that matches the information submitted by the health care practitioner in the approved prior authorization request.

(5) If the health care practitioner submits a claim that includes an unintentional error and the error results in a claim that does not match the information originally submitted by the health care practitioner in the approved prior authorization request, upon receiving a denial of services from the health insuring corporation, the health care practitioner may resubmit the claim pursuant to division (C) of this section with the information that matches the information included in the approved prior authorization.

(D) Any provision of a contractual arrangement entered into between a health insuring corporation and a health care practitioner or beneficiary that is contrary to divisions (A) to (C) of this section is unenforceable.

(E) For policies issued on or after January 1, 2017, committing a series of violations of this section that, taken together, constitute a practice or pattern shall be considered an unfair and deceptive practice under sections 3901.19 to 3901.26 of the Revised Code.

(F) The superintendent of insurance may adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code as necessary to implement the provisions of this section.

(G) This section does not apply to any of the following types of coverage: a policy, contract, certificate, or agreement that covers only a specified accident, accident only, credit, dental, disability income, long-term care, hospital indemnity, supplemental coverage as described in section 3923.37 of the Revised Code, specified disease, or vision care; a dental benefit that is offered as a part of a policy, contract, certificate, or agreement offered by a health insuring corporation; coverage issued as a supplement to liability insurance; insurance arising out of workers' compensation or similar law; automobile medical payment insurance; insurance under which benefits are payable with or without regard to fault and which is statutorily required to be contained in any liability insurance policy or equivalent self-insurance; a medicare supplement policy of insurance as defined by the superintendent of insurance by rule; coverage under a plan through medicare or the federal employees benefit program; or any coverage issued under Chapter 55 of Title 10 of the United States Code and any coverage issued as a supplement to that coverage.

Section 1751.73 | Implementing quality assurance programs.

• Effective: October 1, 1998
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 361 - 122nd General Assembly

Each health insuring corporation providing basic health care services shall implement a quality assurance program for use in connection with those policies, contracts, and agreements providing basic health care services. Each health insuring corporation required to implement a quality assurance program shall annually file a certificate with the superintendent of insurance certifying that its quality assurance program does all of the following:

(A) Identifies a corporate board or committee or designates an executive staff person responsible for program implementation and compliance;

(B) Includes a process enabling the selection and retention of quality providers and health care facilities through credentialing, recredentialing, and monitoring procedures;

(C) Provides for ongoing monitoring of the quality assurance program;

(D) Assures a process for compliance by any entity or entities with which the health insuring corporation contracts for services;

(E) Includes a process to take remedial action to correct quality problems.

Section 1751.74 | Quality assurance program requirements.

• Effective: January 1, 2021
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 339 - 133rd General Assembly

(A) To implement a quality assurance program required by section 1751.73 of the Revised Code, a health insuring corporation shall do both of the following:

(1) Develop and maintain the appropriate infrastructure and disclosure systems necessary to measure and report, on a regular basis, the quality of health care services provided to enrollees, based on a systematic collection, analysis, and reporting of relevant data. The health insuring corporation shall assure that a committee that includes participating physicians have the opportunity to participate in developing, implementing, and evaluating the quality assurance program and all other programs implemented by the health insuring corporation that relate to the utilization of health care services. A committee that includes participating physicians shall also have the opportunity to participate in the derivation of data assessments, statistical analyses, and outcome interpretations from programs monitoring the utilization of health care services.

(2) Develop and maintain an organizational program for designing, measuring, assessing, and improving the processes and outcomes of health care.

(B) A quality assurance program shall:

(1) Establish an internal system capable of identifying opportunities to improve health care, which system is structured to identify practices that result in improved health care outcomes, to identify problematic utilization patterns, and to identify those providers that may be responsible for either exemplary or problematic patterns. The quality assurance program shall use the findings generated by the system to work on a continuing basis with participating providers and other staff to improve the quality of health care services provided to enrollees.

(2) Develop a written statement of its objectives, lines of authority and accountability, evaluation tools, and performance improvement activities;

(3) Require an annual effectiveness review of the program;

(4) Provide a description of how the health insuring corporation intends to do all of the following:

(a) Analyze both processes and outcomes of health care, including focused review of individual cases as appropriate, to discern the causes of variation;

(b) Identify the targeted diagnoses and treatments to be reviewed by the quality assurance program each year, based on consideration of practices and diagnoses that affect a substantial number of the health insuring corporation's enrollees or that could place enrollees at serious risk;

(c) Use a range of appropriate methods to analyze quality of health care, including collection and analysis of information on over-utilization and under-utilization of health care services; evaluation of courses of treatment and outcomes based on current medical research, knowledge, standards, and practice guidelines; and collection and analysis of information specific to enrollees or providers;

(d) Compare quality assurance program findings with past performance, internal goals, and external standards;

(e) Measure the performance of participating providers and conduct peer review activities;

(f) Utilize treatment protocols and practice parameters developed with appropriate clinical input;

(g) Implement improvement strategies related to quality assurance program findings;

(h) Evaluate periodically, but not less than annually, the effectiveness of the improvement strategies.

Section 1751.75 | Determination that accreditation constitutes compliance.

• Effective: September 29, 2017
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly

A health insuring corporation may present evidence of compliance with the requirements of sections 1751.73 and 1751.74 of the Revised Code by submitting certification to the superintendent of insurance of its accreditation by an independent, private accrediting organization, such as the national committee on quality assurance, the national quality health council, the joint commission on accreditation of health care organizations, the accreditation association for ambulatory health care, or the American accreditation healthcare commission/utilization review accreditation commission. The superintendent, upon review of the organization's accreditation process, may determine that such accreditation constitutes compliance by the health insuring corporation with the requirements of these sections.

Section 1751.77 | Utilization review, internal and external review procedure definitions.

• Effective: October 17, 2019
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly

As used in sections 1751.77 to 1751.87 of the Revised Code, unless otherwise specifically provided or as otherwise required pursuant to applicable federal law or regulations:

(A) "Adverse determination" means a determination by a health insuring corporation or its designee utilization review organization that an admission, availability of care, continued stay, or other health care service has been reviewed and, based upon the information provided, the health care service does not meet the requirements for benefit payment under the health insuring corporation's policy, contract, or agreement, and coverage is therefore denied, reduced, or terminated.

(B) "Ambulatory review" means utilization review of health care services performed or provided in an outpatient setting.

(C) "Authorized person" means a parent, guardian, or other person authorized to act on behalf of an enrollee with respect to health care decisions.

(D) "Case management" means a coordinated set of activities conducted for individual patient management of serious, complicated, protracted, or other specified health conditions.

(E) "Certification" means a determination by a health insuring corporation or its designee utilization review organization that an admission, availability of care, continued stay, or other health care service has been reviewed and, based upon the information provided, the health care service satisfies the requirements for benefit payment under the health insuring corporation's policy, contract, or agreement.

(F) "Clinical peer" means a physician when an evaluation is to be made of the clinical appropriateness of health care services provided by a physician. If an evaluation is to be made of the clinical appropriateness of health care services provided by a provider who is not a physician, "clinical peer" means either a physician or a provider holding the same license as the provider who provided the health care services.

(G) "Clinical review criteria" means the written screening procedures, decision abstracts, clinical protocols, and practice guidelines used by a health insuring corporation to determine the necessity and appropriateness of health care services.

(H) "Concurrent review" means utilization review conducted during a patient's hospital stay or course of treatment.

(I) "Discharge planning" means the formal process for determining, prior to a patient's discharge from a health care facility, the coordination and management of the care that the patient is to receive following discharge from a health care facility.

(J) "Participating provider" means a provider or health care facility that, under a contract with a health insuring corporation or with its contractor or subcontractor, has agreed to provide health care services to enrollees with an expectation of receiving payment, other than coinsurance, copayments, or deductibles, directly or indirectly from the health insuring corporation.

(K) "Physician" means a provider who holds a license issued under Chapter 4731. of the Revised Code authorizing the practice of medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery or a comparable license from another state.

(L) "Prospective review" means utilization review that is conducted prior to an admission or a course of treatment.

(M) "Retrospective review" means utilization review of medical necessity that is conducted after health care services have been provided to a patient. "Retrospective review" does not include the review of a claim that is limited to an evaluation of reimbursement levels, veracity of documentation, accuracy of coding, or adjudication of payment.

(N) "Second opinion" means an opportunity or requirement to obtain a clinical evaluation by a provider other than the provider originally making a recommendation for proposed health care services to assess the clinical necessity and appropriateness of the proposed health care services.

(O) "Utilization review" means a process used to monitor the use of, or evaluate the clinical necessity, appropriateness, efficacy, or efficiency of, health care services, procedures, or settings. Areas of review may include ambulatory review, prospective review, second opinion, certification, concurrent review, case management, discharge planning, or retrospective review.

(P) "Utilization review organization" means an entity that conducts utilization review, other than a health insuring corporation performing a review of its own health care plans.

Section 1751.78 | Application of provisions.

• Effective: December 26, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 218 - 129th General Assembly

(A)(1) Sections 1751.77 to 1751.87 and Chapter 3922. of the Revised Code apply to any health insuring corporation that provides or performs utilization review services in connection with its policies, contracts, and agreements covering basic health care services and to any designee of the health insuring corporation, or to any utilization review organization that performs utilization review functions on behalf of the health insuring corporation in connection with policies, contracts, or agreements of the health insuring corporation covering basic health care services.

(2) Nothing in sections 1751.77 to 1751.82 or section 1751.823 of the Revised Code shall be construed to require a health insuring corporation to provide or perform utilization review services in connection with health care services provided under a policy, plan, or agreement of supplemental health care services or specialty health care services.

(B)(1) Each health insuring corporation shall be responsible for monitoring all utilization review and internal review activities carried out by, or on behalf of, the health insuring corporation and for ensuring that all requirements of sections 1751.77 to 1751.87 and Chapter 3922. of the Revised Code, and any rules adopted thereunder, are met. The health insuring corporation shall also ensure that appropriate personnel have operational responsibility for the conduct of the health insuring corporation's utilization review program.

(2) If a health insuring corporation contracts to have a utilization review organization or other entity perform the utilization review functions required by sections 1751.77 to 1751.87 and Chapter 3922. of the Revised Code, and any rules adopted thereunder, the superintendent of insurance shall hold the health insuring corporation responsible for monitoring the activities of the utilization review organization or other entity and for ensuring that the requirements of those sections and rules are met.

Section 1751.79 | Utilization review program requirements.

• Effective: October 1, 1998
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 361 - 122nd General Assembly

A health insuring corporation that conducts utilization review shall prepare a written utilization review program that describes all review activities, both delegated and nondelegated, for covered health care services provided, including the following:

(A) Procedures to evaluate the clinical necessity, appropriateness, efficacy, or efficiency of health care services;

(B) The use of data sources and clinical review criteria in making decisions;

(C) Mechanisms to ensure consistent application of criteria and compatible decisions;

(D) Data collection processes and analytical methods used in assessing utilization of health care services;

(E) Mechanisms for assuring confidentiality of clinical and proprietary information;

(F) The periodic assessment of utilization review activities, and the reporting of these assessments to the health insuring corporation's board, by a utilization review committee, a quality assurance committee, or any similar committee;

(G) The functional responsibility for day-to-day program management by staff;

(H) Defined methods by which guidelines are approved and communicated to providers and health care facilities.

Section 1751.80 | Implementing utilization review programs.

• Effective: October 1, 1998
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 361 - 122nd General Assembly

The utilization review program of a health insuring corporation shall be implemented in accordance with all of the following:

(A) The program shall use documented clinical review criteria that are based on sound clinical evidence and are evaluated periodically to assure ongoing efficacy. A health insuring corporation may develop its own clinical review criteria or may purchase or license such criteria from qualified vendors. A health insuring corporation shall make its clinical review rationale available upon request to authorized government agencies. The rationale made available to authorized government agencies is confidential and is not a public record as defined in section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(B) Qualified providers shall administer the program and oversee review determinations. A clinical peer in the same, or in a similar, specialty as typically manages the medical condition, procedure, or treatment under review shall evaluate the clinical appropriateness of adverse determinations that are the subject of an appeal.

(C) The health insuring corporation shall issue utilization review determinations in a timely manner pursuant to the requirements of sections 1751.81 and 1751.82 of the Revised Code and the enrollee grievance requirements. The health insuring corporation shall obtain information required to make a utilization review determination, including pertinent clinical information, and shall establish a process to ensure that utilization reviewers apply clinical review criteria consistently.

(D) If the health insuring corporation delegates any utilization review activities to a utilization review organization, the health insuring corporation shall maintain adequate oversight, including a process by which the health insuring corporation evaluates the performance of the organization, and shall maintain copies of both of the following:

(1) A written description of the organization's activities and responsibilities, including reporting requirements;

(2) Evidence of formal approval of the organization's program by the health insuring corporation.

(E) The health insuring corporation or its designee utilization review organization shall provide enrollees and participating providers with access to its review staff by means of a toll-free telephone number or collect-call telephone line.

(F) When conducting prospective or concurrent review, the health insuring corporation or its designee utilization review organization shall collect only the information necessary to certify the admission, procedure or treatment, length of stay, frequency, and duration of health care services.

(G) Compensation to persons providing utilization review services for the health insuring corporation shall not contain incentives, direct or indirect, for them to make inappropriate review decisions.

Section 1751.81 | Maintaining written procedures for determining whether requested service is covered.

• Effective: May 1, 2000
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 4 - 123rd General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "necessary information" includes the results of any face-to-face clinical evaluation or second opinion that may be required

(B) A health insuring corporation shall maintain written procedures for determining whether a requested service is a service covered under the terms of an enrollee's policy, contract, or agreement, making utilization review determinations, and notifying enrollees, participating providers, and health care facilities acting on behalf of enrollees, of its determinations.

(C) For prospective review determinations, a health insuring corporation shall make the determination within two business days after obtaining all necessary information regarding a proposed admission, procedure, or health care service requiring a review determination.

(1) In the case of a determination to certify an admission, procedure, or health care service, the health insuring corporation shall notify the provider or health care facility rendering the health care service by telephone or facsimile within three business days after making the initial certification.

(2) In the case of an adverse determination, the health insuring corporation shall notify the provider or health care facility rendering the health care service by telephone within three business days after making the adverse determination, and shall provide written or electronic confirmation of the telephone notification to the enrollee and the provider or health care facility within one business day after making the telephone notification.

(D) For concurrent review determinations, a health insuring corporation shall make the determination within one business day after obtaining all necessary information.

(1) In the case of a determination to certify an extended stay or additional health care services, the health insuring corporation shall notify the provider or health care facility rendering the health care service by telephone or facsimile within one business day after making the certification.

(2) In the case of an adverse determination, the health insuring corporation shall notify the provider or health care facility rendering the health care service by telephone within one business day after making the adverse determination, and shall provide written or electronic confirmation to the enrollee and the provider or health care facility within one business day after the telephone notification. The health care service to the enrollee shall be continued, with standard copayments and deductibles, if applicable, until the enrollee has been notified of the determination.

(E) For retrospective review determinations, a health insuring corporation shall make the determination within thirty business days after receiving all necessary information.

(1) In the case of a certification, the health insuring corporation may notify the enrollee and the provider or health care facility rendering the health care service in writing.

(2) In the case of an adverse determination, the health insuring corporation shall notify the enrollee and the provider or health care facility rendering the health care service, in writing, within five business days after making the adverse determination.

(F)(1) The time frames set forth in divisions (C), (D), and (E) of this section for determinations and notifications shall prevail unless the seriousness of the medical condition of the enrollee otherwise requires a more timely response from the health insuring corporation. The health insuring corporation shall maintain written procedures for making expedited utilization review determinations and notifications of enrollees and providers or health care facilities when warranted by the medical condition of the enrollee.

(2) An enrollee, an authorized person, the enrollee's provider, or the health care facility rendering health care service to an enrollee may proceed with a request for an internal review pursuant to section 1751.83 of the Revised Code if a health insuring corporation fails to make a determination and notification within the time frames set forth in division (C), (D), or (E) of this section. The enrollee may request a review without the approval of the provider or the health care facility rendering the health care service. The provider or health care facility may not request a review without the prior consent of the enrollee.

The health insuring corporation's failure to make a determination and notification within the time frames set forth in division (C), (D), or (E) of this section shall be deemed to be an adverse determination by the health insuring corporation for the purpose of initiating an internal review.

(G) A written notification of an adverse determination shall include the principal reason or reasons for the determination, instructions for initiating a reconsideration of the determination under section 1751.82 of the Revised Code or an internal review under section 1751.83 of the Revised Code, and instructions for requesting a written statement of the clinical rationale used to make the determination. A health insuring corporation shall provide the clinical rationale for an adverse determination in writing to any party who received notice of the adverse determination and who follows the instructions for a request.

(H)(1) A health insuring corporation shall have written procedures to address the failure or inability of a health care facility, provider, or enrollee to provide all necessary information for review.

(2) A health insuring corporation shall not use unreasonable requests for information to delay making a determination.

(3) If the health care facility, provider, or enrollee will not release necessary information, the health insuring corporation may deny certification. An enrollee need not be granted an internal review pursuant to section 1751.83 of the Revised Code based on a health insuring corporation's failure to make a timely determination, if the health insuring corporation's delay in making a determination and notification is caused by the failure of a health care facility, provider, or enrollee to release all necessary information, in which case the health insuring corporation shall notify the enrollee in writing of the reason for the delay.

Section 1751.811 | Internal and external reviews.

• Effective: December 26, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 218 - 129th General Assembly

In lieu of conducting a prospective, concurrent, or retrospective review under section 1751.81 of the Revised Code, providing a reconsideration under section 1751.82 of the Revised Code, or conducting an internal review under section 1751.83 of the Revised Code, a health insuring corporation may afford an enrollee an opportunity for an external review under section 3922.08 or 3922.10 of the Revised Code. If an external review is conducted pursuant to this section, the health insuring corporation is not required to afford the enrollee an opportunity for any of the reviews that were disregarded pursuant to this section, including the external review that may have resulted from a review that was disregarded pursuant to this section, unless new clinical information is submitted to the health insuring corporation.

Section 1751.82 | Reconsideration of adverse determination.

• Effective: May 1, 2000
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 4 - 123rd General Assembly

(A) In a case involving a prospective determination or a concurrent review determination, a health insuring corporation shall give the provider or health care facility rendering the health care service an opportunity to request in writing on behalf of the enrollee a reconsideration of an adverse determination by the reviewer making the adverse determination. The provider or health care facility may not request a reconsideration without the prior consent of the enrollee. The reconsideration shall occur within three business days after the health insuring corporation's receipt of the written request for reconsideration, and shall be conducted between the provider or health care facility rendering the health care service and the reviewer who made the adverse determination. If that reviewer cannot be available within three business days, the reviewer may designate another reviewer.

(B) If the reconsideration process described in division (A) of this section does not resolve the difference of opinion, the enrollee, an authorized person, or the provider or health care facility acting on behalf of the enrollee may request an internal review under section 1751.83 of the Revised Code. The provider or health care facility may not request an internal review without the prior consent of the enrollee.

(C) Reconsideration is not a prerequisite to an internal or external review of an adverse determination.

(D) The time period allowed by division (A) of this section for a reconsideration of an adverse determination shall not apply if the seriousness of the medical condition of the enrollee requires a more expedited reconsideration. The health insuring corporation shall maintain written procedures for making such an expedited reconsideration.

Section 1751.821 | Determination that accreditation constitutes compliance.

• Effective: May 1, 2000
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 4 - 123rd General Assembly

A health insuring corporation may present evidence of compliance with the requirements of sections 1751.77 to 1751.82 of the Revised Code by submitting evidence to the superintendent of insurance of its accreditation by an independent, private accrediting organization, such as the national committee on quality assurance, the national quality health council, the joint commission on accreditation of health care organizations, or the American accreditation healthcare commission/utilization review accreditation commission. The superintendent, upon review of the organization's accreditation process, may determine that such accreditation constitutes compliance by the health insuring corporation with the requirements of these sections.

Section 1751.822 | Cooperation with utilization review program.

• Effective: May 1, 2000
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 4 - 123rd General Assembly

Each participating provider or health care facility submitting a claim shall cooperate with the utilization review program of a health insuring corporation or utilization review organization and shall provide the health insuring corporation or its designee access to an enrollee's medical records during regular business hours, or copies of those records at a reasonable cost.

Section 1751.823 | Filing certificate of compliance.

• Effective: May 1, 2000
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 4 - 123rd General Assembly

A health insuring corporation shall annually file a certificate with the superintendent of insurance certifying its compliance with sections 1751.77 to 1751.82 of the Revised Code.

Section 1751.83 | Maintaining internal review system.

• Effective: December 26, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 218 - 129th General Assembly

A health insuring corporation shall establish and maintain an internal review system that has been approved by the superintendent of insurance. The system shall provide for review by a clinical peer and include adequate and reasonable procedures for review and resolution of appeals from enrollees concerning adverse determinations made under section 1751.81 of the Revised Code, including procedures for verifying and reviewing appeals from enrollees whose medical conditions require expedited review.

A health insuring corporation shall consider and provide a written response to each request for an internal review not later than thirty days after receipt of the request, except that if the seriousness of the enrollee's medical condition requires an expedited review, the health insuring corporation shall provide the written response not later than seven days after receipt of the request or in accordance with applicable preemptive federal laws or regulations. The response shall state the reason for the health insuring corporation's decision, inform the enrollee of the right to pursue a further review, and explain the procedures for initiating the review, including the time frames within which the enrollee must request the review, as specified in section 3922.02 of the Revised Code. Failure by a health insuring corporation to provide a written response within the time frames specified under this section shall be deemed a denial by the health insuring corporation for purposes of requesting an external review under Chapter 3922. of the Revised Code.

If the health insuring corporation has denied, reduced, or terminated coverage for a health care service on the grounds that the service is not a service covered under the terms of the enrollee's policy, contract, or agreement, the response shall inform the enrollee of the right to request a review by the superintendent of insurance under Chapter 3922. of the Revised Code. If the health insuring corporation has denied, reduced, or terminated coverage for a health care service on the grounds that the service is not medically necessary, the response shall inform the enrollee of the right to request an external review under Chapter 3922. of the Revised Code.

The health insuring corporation shall make available to the superintendent for inspection copies of all documents in the health insuring corporation's possession related to reviews conducted pursuant to this section, including medical records related to those reviews, and of responses, for three years following completion of the review.

Section 1751.84 | Coverage for autism spectrum disorder.

• Effective: January 1, 2021
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 339 - 133rd General Assembly

(A) Notwithstanding section 3901.71 of the Revised Code, each individual and group health insuring corporation policy, contract, or agreement providing basic health care services that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state shall provide coverage for the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of autism spectrum disorder. A health insuring corporation shall not terminate an individual's coverage, or refuse to deliver, execute, issue, amend, adjust, or renew coverage to an individual solely because the individual is diagnosed with or has received treatment for an autism spectrum disorder. Nothing in this section shall be applied to nongrandfathered plans in the individual and small group markets or to medicare supplement, accident-only, specified disease, hospital indemnity, disability income, long-term care, or other limited benefit hospital insurance policies. Except as otherwise provided in division (B) of this section, coverage under this section shall not be subject to dollar limits, deductibles, or coinsurance provisions that are less favorable to an enrollee than the dollar limits, deductibles, or coinsurance provisions that apply to substantially all medical and surgical benefits under the policy, contract, or agreement.

(B) Benefits provided under this section shall cover, at minimum, all of the following:

(1) For speech and language therapy or occupational therapy for an enrollee under the age of fourteen that is performed by a licensed therapist, twenty visits per year for each service;

(2) For clinical therapeutic intervention for an enrollee under the age of fourteen that is provided by or under the supervision of a professional who is licensed, certified, or registered by an appropriate agency of this state to perform such services in accordance with a health treatment plan, twenty hours per week;

(3) For mental or behavioral health outpatient services for an enrollee under the age of fourteen that are performed by a licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, or physician providing consultation, assessment, development, or oversight of treatment plans, thirty visits per year.

(C)(1) Except as provided in division (C)(2) of this section, this section shall not be construed as limiting benefits that are otherwise available to an individual under a policy, contract, or agreement.

(2) A policy, contract, or agreement shall stipulate that coverage provided under this section be contingent upon both of the following:

(a) The covered individual receiving prior authorization for the services in question;

(b) The services in question being prescribed or ordered by either a developmental pediatrician or a psychologist trained in autism.

(D)(1) Except for inpatient services, if an enrollee is receiving treatment for an autism spectrum disorder, a health insuring corporation may review the treatment plan annually, unless the health insuring corporation and the enrollee's treating physician or psychologist agree that a more frequent review is necessary.

(2) Any such agreement as described in division (D)(1) of this section shall apply only to a particular enrollee being treated for an autism spectrum disorder and shall not apply to all individuals being treated for autism spectrum disorder by a physician or psychologist.

(3) The health insuring corporation shall cover the cost of obtaining any review or treatment plan.

(E) This section shall not be construed as affecting any obligation to provide services to an enrollee under an individualized family service plan, an individualized education program, or an individualized service plan.

(F) As used in this section:

(1) "Applied behavior analysis" means the design, implementation, and evaluation of environmental modifications, using behavioral stimuli and consequences, to produce socially significant improvement in human behavior, including the use of direct observation, measurement, and functional analysis of the relationship between environment and behavior.

(2) "Autism spectrum disorder" means any of the pervasive developmental disorders or autism spectrum disorder as defined by the most recent edition of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders published by the American psychiatric association available at the time an individual is first evaluated for suspected developmental delay.

(3) "Clinical therapeutic intervention" means therapies supported by empirical evidence, which include, but are not limited to, applied behavioral analysis, that satisfy both of the following:

(a) Are necessary to develop, maintain, or restore, to the maximum extent practicable, the function of an individual;

(b) Are provided by or under the supervision of any of the following:

(i) A certified Ohio behavior analyst as defined in section 4783.01 of the Revised Code;

(ii) An individual licensed under Chapter 4732. of the Revised Code to practice psychology;

(iii) An individual licensed under Chapter 4757. of the Revised Code to practice professional counseling, social work, or marriage and family therapy.

(4) "Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder" means medically necessary assessments, evaluations, or tests to diagnose whether an individual has an autism spectrum disorder.

(5) "Pharmacy care" means medications prescribed by a licensed physician and any health-related services considered medically necessary to determine the need or effectiveness of the medications.

(6) "Psychiatric care" means direct or consultative services provided by a psychiatrist licensed in the state in which the psychiatrist practices.

(7) "Psychological care" means direct or consultative services provided by a psychologist licensed in the state in which the psychologist practices.

(8) "Therapeutic care" means services provided by a speech therapist, occupational therapist, or physical therapist licensed or certified in the state in which the person practices.

(9) "Treatment for autism spectrum disorder" means evidence-based care and related equipment prescribed or ordered for an individual diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder by a licensed physician who is a developmental pediatrician or a licensed psychologist trained in autism who determines the care to be medically necessary, including any of the following:

(a) Clinical therapeutic intervention;

(b) Pharmacy care;

(c) Psychiatric care;

(d) Psychological care;

(e) Therapeutic care.

(G) If any provision of this section or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is for any reason held to be invalid, the remainder of the section and the application of such remainder to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

Section 1751.85 | Information for vision care services or materials.

• Effective: March 20, 2019
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 156 - 132nd General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "covered vision services," "vision care materials," and "vision care provider" have the same meanings as in section 3963.01 of the Revised Code.

( B) A health insuring corporation shall provide the information required in this division to all enrollees receiving coverage under an individual or group health insuring corporation policy, contract, or agreement providing coverage for vision care services or vision care materials. The information shall be in a conspicuous format, shall be easily accessible to enrollees, and shall do all of the following:

(1) Include the following statement:

"IMPORTANT: If you opt to receive vision care services or vision care materials that are not covered benefits under this plan, a participating vision care provider may charge you his or her normal fee for such services or materials. Prior to providing you with vision care services or vision care materials that are not covered benefits, the vision care provider will provide you with an estimated cost for each service or material upon your request."

(2) Disclose any business interest the health insuring corporation has in a source or supplier of vision care materials ;

(3) Include an explanation that the enrollee may incur out-of-pocket expenses as a result of the purchase of vision care services or vision care materials that are not covered vision services. The explanation shall be communicated in a manner and format similar to how the health insuring corporation provides an enrollee with information on coverage levels and out-of-pocket expenses that may be incurred by the enrollee under the policy, contract, or agreement when purchasing out-of-network vision care services or vision care materials.

(C) A pattern of continuous or repeated violations of this section is an unfair and deceptive act or practice in the business of insurance under sections 3901.19 to 3901.26 of the Revised Code.

Section 1751.86 | Violation deemed unfair and deceptive act or practice.

• Effective: October 1, 1998
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 361 - 122nd General Assembly

(A) No health insuring corporation shall fail to comply with sections 1751.77 to 1751.82 of the Revised Code.

(B) Whoever violates division (A) of this section is deemed to have engaged in an unfair and deceptive act or practice in the business of insurance under sections 3901.19 to 3901.26 of the Revised Code.

Section 1751.87 | Cause of action not created.

• Effective: December 26, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 218 - 129th General Assembly

Nothing in sections 1751.77 to 1751.83 of the Revised Code shall be construed to create a cause of action against an employer that provides health care benefits to employees through a health insuring corporation.

Section 1751.89 | Medicare and medicaid exceptions.

• Effective: December 26, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 218 - 129th General Assembly

Sections 1751.77 to 1751.83 of the Revised Code do not apply to either of the following:

(A) Coverage provided to beneficiaries enrolled in the medicare+choice program operated under Title XVIII of the "Social Security Act," 49 Stat. 620 (1935), 42 U.S.C.A. 301, as amended;

(B) Coverage provided to medicaid recipients;

(C) Coverage provided to participants of the children's buy-in program.

Section 1751.90 | Coverage for teledentistry.

• Effective: March 20, 2019
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 259 - 132nd General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "teledentistry" has the same meaning as in section 4715.43 of the Revised Code.

(B) No individual or group health insuring corporation policy, contract, or agreement shall deny coverage for the costs of any services provided to an insured through teledentistry if those services would be covered if the services were delivered other than through teledentistry.

(C) The coverage that may not be excluded under division (B) of this section is subject to all terms, conditions, restrictions, exclusions, and limitations that apply to other coverage for services performed by participating and nonparticipating providers.

Section 1751.91 | Reimbursement for pharmacists providing health care.

• Effective: December 16, 2020
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 203 - 133rd General Assembly

A health insuring corporation may provide payment or reimbursement to a pharmacist for providing a health care service to a patient if both of the following are the case:

(A) The pharmacist provided the health care service to the patient in accordance with Chapter 4729. of the Revised Code, including any of the following services:

(1) Managing drug therapy under a consult agreement pursuant to section 4729.39 of the Revised Code;

(2) Administering immunizations in accordance with section 4729.41 of the Revised Code;

(3) Administering drugs in accordance with section 4729.45 of the Revised Code.

(B) The patient's individual or group health insuring corporation policy, contract, or agreement provides for payment or reimbursement of the service.

Section 1751.92 | Compliance cost-sharing provisions.

• Effective: October 17, 2019
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly

Each health insuring corporation shall comply with the requirements of section 3959.20 of the Revised Code as they pertain to health plan issuers.

As used in this section, "health plan issuer" has the same meaning as in section 3922.01 of the Revised Code.