0001|                            HOUSE BILL 214
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                          EDWARD C. SANDOVAL
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|             FOR THE HEALTH AND WELFARE REFORM COMMITTEE
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0009|     
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0010|                                AN ACT
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0011|     RELATING TO INSURANCE; ENACTING THE PATIENT PROTECTION ACT;
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0012|     PROVIDING PROTECTIONS FOR PERSONS IN MANAGED HEALTH CARE
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0013|     PLANS; APPLYING PATIENT PROTECTIONS TO MEDICAID MANAGED CARE;
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0014|     IMPOSING A CIVIL PENALTY; AMENDING AND ENACTING SECTIONS OF
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0015|     THE NMSA 1978.
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0016|     
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0017|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0018|          Section 1.  A new section of the New Mexico Insurance
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0019|     Code is enacted to read:  
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0020|          "[|NEW MATERIAL|] SHORT TITLE.--Sections 1 through 11 of
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0021|     this act may be cited as the "Patient Protection Act"."
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0022|          Section 2.  A new section of the New Mexico Insurance
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0023|     Code is enacted to read:
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0024|          "[|NEW MATERIAL|] PURPOSE OF ACT.--The purpose of the
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0025|     Patient Protection Act is to regulate aspects of health
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                                        - 1 -

0001|     insurance by specifying patient and provider rights and
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0002|     confirming and clarifying the authority of the department to
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0003|     adopt regulations to provide protections to persons enrolled
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0004|     in managed health care plans.  The insurance protections
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0005|     should ensure that managed health care plans treat patients
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0006|     fairly and fulfill their primary obligation to deliver good
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0007|     quality health care services."     
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0008|          Section 3.  A new section of the New Mexico Insurance
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0009|     Code is enacted to read:
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0010|          "[|NEW MATERIAL|] DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Patient
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0011|     Protection Act:
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0012|               A.  "continuous quality improvement" means an
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0013|     ongoing and systematic effort to measure, evaluate and improve
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0014|     a managed health care plan's operations in order to improve
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0015|     continually the quality of health care services provided to
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0016|     enrollees; 
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0017|               B.  "covered person", "enrollee", "patient" or
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0018|     "consumer" means an individual who is entitled to receive
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0019|     health care benefits from a managed health care plan; 
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0020|               C.  "department" means the insurance department;
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0021|               D.  "emergency care" means a health care procedure,
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0022|     treatment or service delivered to a covered person after the
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0023|     sudden onset of what appears to be a medical condition that
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0024|     manifests itself by symptoms of sufficient severity that the
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0025|     absence of immediate medical attention could be expected by a
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                                        - 2 -

0001|     reasonable layperson to result in jeopardy to a person's
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0002|     health, serious impairment of bodily functions, serious
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0003|     dysfunction of a body part or disfigurement to a person;
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0004|               E.  "health care facility" means an institution
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0005|     providing health care services, including a hospital or other
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0006|     licensed inpatient center; an ambulatory surgical or treatment
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0007|     center; a skilled nursing center; a residential treatment
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0008|     center; a home health agency; a diagnostic, laboratory or
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0009|     imaging center; and a rehabilitation or other therapeutic
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0010|     health setting;
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0011|               F.  "health care insurer" means a person who has a
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0012|     valid certificate of authority in good standing pursuant to
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0013|     the Insurance Code to act as an insurer, health maintenance
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0014|     organization, nonprofit health care plan or prepaid dental
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0015|     plan;
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0016|               G.  "health care professional" means a physician or
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0017|     other health care practitioner, including a pharmacist, who is
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0018|     licensed, certified or otherwise authorized by the state to
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0019|     provide health care services consistent with state law; 
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0020|               H.  "health care provider" or "provider" means a
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0021|     person licensed or otherwise authorized by the state to
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0022|     furnish health care services and includes health care
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0023|     professionals and health care facilities; 
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0024|               I.  "health care services" includes physical health
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0025|     or community-based mental health or developmental disability
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                                        - 3 -

0001|     services, including services for developmental delay;
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0002|               J.  "managed health care plan" or "plan" means a
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0003|     health benefit plan of a health care insurer or a provider
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0004|     service network that either requires a covered person to use,
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0005|     or creates incentives, including financial incentives, for a
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0006|     covered person to use health care providers managed, owned,
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0007|     under contract with or employed by the health care insurer. 
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0008|     "Managed health care plan" or "plan" does not include a
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0009|     traditional fee-for-service indemnity plan, a student health
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0010|     plan or a plan that covers only short-term travel or accident-
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0011|     only, limited benefit or specified disease policies;
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0012|               K.  "person" means an individual or other legal
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0013|     entity;
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0014|               L.  "point-of-service plan" or "open plan" means a
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0015|     managed health care plan that allows enrollees to use health
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0016|     care providers other than providers under direct contract with
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0017|     the plan, even if the plan provides incentives, including
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0018|     financial incentives, for covered persons to use the plan's
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0019|     designated participating providers; 
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0020|               M.  "primary health care clinic" means a nonprofit
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0021|     community-based entity established to provide the first level
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0022|     of basic or general health care needs, including diagnostic
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0023|     and treatment services, for residents of a health care
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0024|     underserved area as that area is defined in regulation adopted
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0025|     by the department of health and includes an entity that serves
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                                        - 4 -

0001|     primarily low-income populations; 
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0002|               N.  "provider service network" means two or more
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0003|     health care providers affiliated for the purpose of providing
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0004|     health care services to covered persons on a capitated or
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0005|     similar prepaid flat-rate basis;
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0006|               O.  "superintendent" means the superintendent of
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0007|     insurance; and
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0008|               P.  "utilization review" means a system for
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0009|     reviewing the appropriate and efficient allocation of health
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0010|     care services, including hospitalization, given or proposed to
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0011|     be given to a patient or group of patients." 
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0012|          Section 4.  A new section of the New Mexico Insurance
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0013|     Code is enacted to read:
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0014|          "[|NEW MATERIAL|] PATIENT RIGHTS--DISCLOSURES--RIGHTS TO
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0015|     BASIC AND COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES--GRIEVANCE
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0016|     PROCEDURE--UTILIZATION REVIEW PROGRAM--CONTINUOUS QUALITY
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0017|     PROGRAM.--
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0018|               A.  Each covered person enrolled in a managed
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0019|     health care plan has the right to be treated fairly.  A
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0020|     managed health care plan shall deliver good quality and
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0021|     appropriate health care services to enrollees.  The department
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0022|     shall adopt regulations to implement the provisions of the
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0023|     Patient Protection Act and shall monitor and oversee a managed
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0024|     health care plan to ensure that each covered person enrolled
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0025|     in a plan is treated fairly and is accorded the rights
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                                        - 5 -

0001|     necessary or appropriate to protect patient interests.  In
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0002|     adopting regulations to implement the provisions of
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0003|     Subparagraphs (a) and (b) of Paragraph (3) and Paragraphs (5)
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0004|     and (6) of Subsection B of this section regarding health care
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0005|     standards and specialists, utilization review programs and
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0006|     continuous quality improvement programs, the department shall
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0007|     cooperate with and seek advice from the department of health. 
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0008|               B.  The regulations adopted by the department to
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0009|     protect patient rights shall provide at a minimum that:
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0010|                    (1)  a managed health care plan shall provide
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0011|     oral and written summaries, policies and procedures that
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0012|     explain, prior to or at the time of enrollment and at
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0013|     subsequent periodic times as appropriate, in a clear,
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0014|     conspicuous and readily understandable form, full and fair
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0015|     disclosure of the plan's benefits, terms, conditions, prior
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0016|     authorization requirements, enrollee financial responsibility
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0017|     for payments, grievance procedures, appeal rights and the
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0018|     patient rights generally available to all covered persons; 
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0019|                    (2)  a managed health care plan shall provide
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0020|     each covered person with appropriate basic and comprehensive
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0021|     health care services that are reasonably accessible and
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0022|     available in a timely manner to each covered person; 
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0023|                    (3)  in providing the right to reasonably
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0024|     accessible health care services that are available in a timely
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0025|     manner, a managed health care plan shall ensure that:
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                                        - 6 -

0001|                         (a)  the plan offers sufficient numbers
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0002|     and types of safe and adequately staffed health care providers
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0003|     at reasonable hours of service to meet the health needs of the
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0004|     enrollee population, and takes into account cultural aspects
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0005|     of the enrollee population; 
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0006|                         (b)  health care providers that are
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0007|     specialists may act as primary care providers for patients
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0008|     with chronic medical conditions, provided the specialists
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0009|     offer all reasonable primary care services required by a
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0010|     managed health care plan; 
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0011|                         (c)  reasonable access is provided to 
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0012|     out-of-network health care providers; and 
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0013|                         (d)  emergency care is immediately
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0014|     available without prior authorization requirements, and
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0015|     appropriate out-of-network emergency care is not subject to
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0016|     additional costs; 
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0017|                    (4)  a managed health care plan shall adopt
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0018|     and implement a prompt and fair grievance procedure for
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0019|     resolving patient complaints and addressing patient questions
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0020|     and concerns regarding any aspect of the plan, including the
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0021|     quality of and access to health care, the choice of health
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0022|     care provider or treatment and the adequacy of the plan's
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0023|     provider network.  The grievance procedures shall notify
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0024|     patients of their statutory appeal rights, including the
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0025|     option of seeking immediate relief in court, and shall provide
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0001|     for a prompt and fair appeal of a plan's decision to the
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0002|     superintendent, including special provisions to govern
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0003|     emergency appeals to the superintendent in health emergencies;
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0004|                    (5)  a managed health care plan shall adopt
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0005|     and implement a comprehensive utilization review program.  The
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0006|     basis of a decision to approve or deny care shall be disclosed
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0007|     to an affected enrollee.  The decision to approve or deny care
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0008|     to a patient shall be made in a timely manner, and the final
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0009|     decision shall be made by a qualified health care
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0010|     professional.  A plan's utilization review program shall
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0011|     ensure that enrollees have proper access to health care
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0012|     services, including referrals to necessary specialists.  A
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0013|     decision made in a plan's utilization review program shall be
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0014|     subject to the plan's grievance procedure and appeal to the
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0015|     superintendent; and 
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0016|                    (6)  a managed health care plan shall adopt
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0017|     and implement a continuous quality improvement program that
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0018|     monitors the quality and appropriateness of the health care
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0019|     services provided by the plan." 
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0020|          Section 5.  A new section of the New Mexico Insurance
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0021|     Code is enacted to read:
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0022|          "[|NEW MATERIAL|] CONSUMER ASSISTANCE--CONSUMER ADVISORY
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0023|     BOARDS--OMBUDSMAN OFFICE--REPORTS TO CONSUMERS--
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0024|     SUPERINTENDENT'S ORDERS TO PROTECT CONSUMERS.-- 
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0025|               A.  Each health care insurer that offers a managed
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0001|     health care plan shall establish and adequately staff a
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0002|     consumer assistance office.  The purpose of the consumer
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0003|     assistance office is to respond to consumer questions and
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0004|     concerns and assist patients in exercising their rights and
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0005|     protecting their interests as consumers of health care.  
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0006|               B.  Each health care insurer that offers a managed
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0007|     health care plan shall establish a consumer advisory board. 
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0008|     The board shall meet at least quarterly and shall advise the
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0009|     insurer about the plan's general operations from the
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0010|     perspective of the enrollee as a consumer of health care.  The
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0011|     board shall also oversee the plan's consumer assistance
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0012|     office. 
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0013|               C.  The department shall establish and adequately
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0014|     staff a managed care ombudsman office, either within the
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0015|     department or by contract.  The purpose of the managed care
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0016|     ombudsman office shall be to assist patients in exercising
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0017|     their rights and help advocate for and protect patient
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0018|     interests.  The department's managed care ombudsman office
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0019|     shall work in conjunction with each insurer's consumer
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0020|     assistance office and shall independently evaluate the
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0021|     effectiveness of the insurer's consumer assistance office. 
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0022|     The department's managed care ombudsman office may require an
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0023|     insurer's consumer assistance office to adopt measures to
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0024|     ensure that the plan operates effectively to protect patient
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0025|     rights and inform consumers of the information to which they
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0001|     are entitled. 
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0002|               D.  The department shall prepare an annual report
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0003|     assessing the operations of managed health care plans subject
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0004|     to the department's oversight, including information about
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0005|     consumer complaints.
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0006|               E.  A person may file a complaint with the
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0007|     superintendent regarding a violation of the Patient Protection
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0008|     Act.  Prior to issuing any remedial order regarding violations
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0009|     of the Patient Protection Act or its regulations, the
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0010|     superintendent shall hold a hearing in accordance with the
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0011|     provisions of Chapter 59A, Article 4 NMSA 1978.  The
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0012|     superintendent may issue any order he deems necessary or
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0013|     appropriate, including ordering the delivery of appropriate
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0014|     care, to protect consumers and enforce the provisions of the
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0015|     Patient Protection Act.  The superintendent shall adopt
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0016|     special procedures to govern the submission of emergency
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0017|     appeals to him in health emergencies."
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0018|          Section 6.  A new section of the New Mexico Insurance
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0019|     Code is enacted to read:
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0020|          "[|NEW MATERIAL|] FAIRNESS TO HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS--GAG
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0021|     RULES PROHIBITED--GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE FOR PROVIDERS.--
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0022|               A.  No managed health care plan may:
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0023|                    (1)  adopt a gag rule or practice that
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0024|     prohibits a health care provider from discussing a treatment
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0025|     option with an enrollee even if the plan does not approve of
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0001|     the option; 
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0002|                    (2)  include in any of its contracts with
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0003|     health care providers any provisions that offers an
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0004|     inducement, financial or otherwise, to provide less than
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0005|     medically necessary services to an enrollee; or
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0006|                    (3)  require a health care provider to violate
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0007|     the ethical duties of his profession or place his license in
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0008|     jeopardy.
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0009|               B.  A health care insurer that proposes to
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0010|     terminate a health care provider from the insurer's managed
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0011|     health care plan shall explain in writing the rationale for
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0012|     its proposed termination and deliver reasonable advance
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0013|     written notice to the provider prior to the proposed effective
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0014|     date of the termination.  
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0015|               C.  A managed health care plan shall adopt and
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0016|     implement a prompt and fair grievance procedure for resolving
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0017|     health care provider complaints and addressing provider
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0018|     questions and concerns regarding any aspect of the plan,
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0019|     including the quality of and access to health care, the choice
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0020|     of health care provider or treatment and the adequacy of the
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0021|     plan's provider network.  The grievance procedures shall
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0022|     notify providers of their statutory appeal rights, including
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0023|     the option of seeking immediate relief in court, and shall
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0024|     provide for a prompt and fair appeal of a plan's decision to
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0025|     the superintendent, including special provisions to govern
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0001|     emergency appeals to the superintendent in health
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0002|     emergencies." 
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0003|          Section 7.  A new section of the New Mexico Insurance
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0004|     Code is enacted to read:
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0005|          "[|NEW MATERIAL|] POINT-OF-SERVICE OPTION PLAN.--The
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0006|     department may require a health care insurer that offers a
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0007|     point-of-service plan or open plan to include in any managed
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0008|     health care plan it offers an option for a point-of-service
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0009|     plan or open plan."
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0010|          Section 8.  A new section of the New Mexico Insurance
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0011|     Code is enacted to read:
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0012|          "[|NEW MATERIAL|] ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AND BENEFIT COSTS
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0013|     DISCLOSURES.--The department shall adopt regulations to ensure
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0014|     that both the administrative costs and the direct costs of
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0015|     providing health care services of each managed health care
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0016|     plan are fully and fairly disclosed to consumers in a uniform
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0017|     manner that allows meaningful cost comparisons among plans."
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0018|          Section 9.  A new section of the New Mexico Insurance
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0019|     Code is enacted to read:
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0020|          "[|NEW MATERIAL|] PRIVATE REMEDIES TO ENFORCE PATIENT AND
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0021|     PROVIDER INSURANCE RIGHTS--ENROLLEE AS THIRD-PARTY BENEFICIARY
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0022|     TO ENFORCE RIGHTS.--
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0023|               A.  A person who suffers a loss as a result of a
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0024|     violation of a right protected pursuant to the provisions of
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0025|     the Patient Protection Act, its regulations or a managed
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                                        - 12 -

0001|     health care plan may bring an action to recover actual damages
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0002|     or the sum of one hundred dollars ($100), whichever is
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0003|     greater. 
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0004|               B.  A person likely to be damaged by a denial of a
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0005|     right protected pursuant to the provisions of the Patient
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0006|     Protection Act, its regulations or a managed health care plan
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0007|     may be granted an injunction under the principles of equity
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0008|     and on terms that the court considers reasonable.  Proof of
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0009|     monetary damage or intent to violate a right is not required.
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0010|               C.  To protect and enforce an enrollee's rights in
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0011|     a managed health care plan, an individual enrollee
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0012|     participating in or eligible to participate in a managed
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0013|     health care plan shall be treated as a third-party beneficiary
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0014|     of the managed health care plan contract between the health
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0015|     care insurer and the party with which the health care insurer
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0016|     directly contracts.  An individual enrollee may sue to enforce
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0017|     the rights provided in the contract that governs the managed
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0018|     health care plan. 
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0019|               D.  The relief provided pursuant to this section is
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0020|     in addition to other remedies available against the same
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0021|     conduct under the common law or other statutes of this state. 
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0022|               E.  In any class action filed pursuant to this
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0023|     section, the court may award damages to the named plaintiffs
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0024|     as provided in this section and may award members of the class
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0025|     the actual damages suffered by each member of the class as a
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                                        - 13 -

0001|     result of the unlawful practice."
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0002|          Section 10.  A new section of the New Mexico Insurance
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0003|     Code is enacted to read:
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0004|          "[|NEW MATERIAL|] APPLICATION OF ACT TO MEDICAID
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0005|     PROGRAM.--The provisions of the Patient Protection Act apply
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0006|     to the medicaid program operation in the state.  A managed
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0007|     health care plan offered through the medicaid program shall
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0008|     grant enrollees and providers the same rights and protections
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0009|     as are granted to enrollees and providers in any other managed
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0010|     health care plan subject to the provisions of the Patient
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0011|     Protection Act."
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0012|          Section 11.  A new section of the New Mexico Insurance
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0013|     Code is enacted to read:
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0014|          "[|NEW MATERIAL|] PENALTY.--In addition to any other
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0015|     penalties provided by law, a civil administrative penalty of
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0016|     up to twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) may be imposed
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0017|     for each violation of the Patient Protection Act.  An
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0018|     administrative penalty shall be imposed by written order of
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0019|     the superintendent made after holding a hearing as provided
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0020|     for in Chapter 59A, Article 4 NMSA 1978."
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0021|          Section 12.  Section 59A-1-16 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1984,
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0022|     Chapter 127, Section 16) is amended to read:
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0023|          "59A-1-16.  EXEMPTED FROM CODE.--In addition to
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0024|     organizations and businesses otherwise exempt, the Insurance
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0025|     Code shall not apply ~[as]~ to:
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                                        - 14 -

0001|               A.  a labor organization ~[which]~ |that|
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0002|     incidental only to operations as a labor organization issues
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0003|     benefit certificates to members or maintains funds to assist
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0004|     members and their families in times of illness, injury or
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0005|     need, and not for profit;
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0006|               B.  the credit union share insurance corporation,
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0007|     as identified in ~[Article 58-12]~ |Chapter 58, Article l2|
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0008|     NMSA 1978, and similar corporations and funds for protection
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0009|     of depositors, shareholders or creditors of financial
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0010|     institutions and businesses other than insurers; or
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0011|               C.  the risk management division of the |general
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0012|     services| department ~[of finance and administration of New
    |
0013|     Mexico]~ or ~[as]~ to insurance of public property or public
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0014|     risks by any agency of government not otherwise engaged in the
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0015|     business of insurance, |except the provisions of the patient
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0016|     protection act shall apply to the risk management division and
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0017|     any managed health care plan it offers|."
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0018|          Section 13.  Section 59A-46-30 NMSA 1978 (being Laws
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0019|     1993, Chapter 266, Section 29, as amended) is amended to read:
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0020|          "59A-46-30.  STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION AND RELATIONSHIP TO
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0021|     OTHER LAWS.--
    |
0022|               A.  The provisions of the Insurance Code other than
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0023|     Chapter 59A, Article 46 NMSA 1978 shall not apply to health
    |
0024|     maintenance organizations except as expressly provided in the
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0025|     Insurance Code and that article.  To the extent reasonable and
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                                        - 15 -

0001|     not inconsistent with the provisions of that article, the
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0002|     following articles and provisions of the Insurance Code shall
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0003|     also apply to health maintenance organizations and their
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0004|     promoters, sponsors, directors, officers, employees, agents,
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0005|     solicitors and other representatives.  For the purposes of
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0006|     such applicability, a health maintenance organization may
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0007|     ~[therein]~ be referred to as an "insurer": 
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0008|                    (1)  Chapter 59A, Article 1 NMSA 1978; 
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0009|                    (2)  Chapter 59A, Article 2 NMSA 1978;
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0010|                    (3)  Chapter 59A, Article 3 NMSA 1978;
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0011|                    (4)  Chapter 59A, Article 4 NMSA 1978; 
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0012|                    (5)  Subsection C of Section 59A-5-22 NMSA
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0013|     1978;
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0014|                    (6)  Sections 59A-6-2 through 59A-6-4 and
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0015|     59A-6-6 NMSA 1978;
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0016|                    (7)  Chapter 59A, Article 8 NMSA 1978; 
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0017|                    (8)  Chapter 59A, Article 10 NMSA 1978; 
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0018|                    (9)  Section 59A-12-22 NMSA 1978; 
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0019|                    (10)  Chapter 59A, Article 16 NMSA 1978;
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0020|                    (11)  Chapter 59A, Article 18 NMSA 1978; 
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0021|                    (12)  Chapter 59A, Article 19 NMSA 1978;
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0022|                    |(13)  Section 59A-22-14 NMSA 1978;| 
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0023|                    ~[(13)]~ |(14)|  Chapter 59A, Article 23B NMSA
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0024|     1978;
    |
0025|                    ~[(14)]~ |(15)|  Sections 59A-34-9 through
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                                        - 16 -

0001|     59A-34-13, 59A-34-17, 59A-34-23, 59A-34-36 and 59A-34-37 NMSA
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0002|     1978; ~[and
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0003|                    (15)]~ |(16)|  Chapter 59A, Article 37 NMSA
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0004|     1978; |and|
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0005|                    |(17)  The Patient Protection Act|.
    |
0006|               B.  Solicitation of enrollees by a health
    |
0007|     maintenance organization granted a certificate of authority,
    |
0008|     or its representatives, shall not be construed as violating
    |
0009|     any provision of law relating to solicitation or advertising
    |
0010|     by health professionals, but health professionals shall be
    |
0011|     individually subject to the laws, rules, regulations and
    |
0012|     ethical provisions governing their individual professions. 
    |
0013|               C.  Any health maintenance organization authorized
    |
0014|     under the provisions of the Health Maintenance Organization
    |
0015|     Law shall not be deemed to be practicing medicine and shall be
    |
0016|     exempt from the provisions of laws relating to the practice of
    |
0017|     medicine."
    |
0018|          Section 14.  Section 59A-47-33 NMSA 1978 (being Laws
    |
0019|     1984, Chapter 127, Section 879.32, as amended by Laws 1997,
    |
0020|     Chapter 7, Section 4 and by Laws 1997, Chapter 248, Section 3
    |
0021|     and also by Laws 1997, Chapter 255, Section 4) is amended to
    |
0022|     read:
    |
0023|          "59A-47-33.  OTHER PROVISIONS APPLICABLE.--The provisions
    |
0024|     of the Insurance Code other than Chapter 59A, Article 47 NMSA
    |
0025|     1978 shall not apply to health care plans except as expressly
    |
                                        - 17 -

0001|     provided in the Insurance Code and that article.  To the
    |
0002|     extent reasonable and not inconsistent with the provisions of
    |
0003|     that article, the following articles and provisions of the
    |
0004|     Insurance Code shall also apply to health care plans, their
    |
0005|     promoters, sponsors, directors, officers, employees, agents,
    |
0006|     solicitors and other representatives; and, for the purposes of
    |
0007|     such applicability, a health care plan may ~[therein]~ be
    |
0008|     referred to as an "insurer":
    |
0009|               A.  Chapter 59A, Article 1 NMSA 1978;
    |
0010|               B.  Chapter 59A, Article 2 NMSA 1978;
    |
0011|               C.  Chapter 59A, Article 4 NMSA 1978;
    |
0012|               D.  Subsection C of Section 59A-5-22 NMSA 1978;
    |
0013|               E.  Sections 59A-6-2 through 59A-6-4 and 
    |
0014|     59A-6-6 NMSA 1978;
    |
0015|               F.  Section 59A-7-11 NMSA 1978;
    |
0016|               G.  Chapter 59A, Article 8 NMSA 1978;
    |
0017|               H.  Chapter 59A, Article 10 NMSA 1978;
    |
0018|               I.  Section 59A-12-22 NMSA 1978;
    |
0019|               J.  Chapter 59A, Article 16 NMSA 1978;
    |
0020|               K.  Chapter 59A, Article 18 NMSA 1978;
    |
0021|               L.  Chapter 59A, Article 19 NMSA 1978;
    |
0022|               M.  Subsections B through E of Section 
    |
0023|     59A-22-5 NMSA 1978;
    |
0024|               |N.  Section 59A-22-14 NMSA 1978;|
    |
0025|               ~[N.]~ |O.|  Section 59A-22-34.1 NMSA 1978; 
    |
                                        - 18 -

0001|               ~[O.]~ |P.|  Section 59A-22-39 NMSA 1978;
    |
0002|               ~[P.]~ |Q.|  Section 59A-22-40 NMSA 1978;
    |
0003|               ~[Q.]~ |R.|  Section 59A-22-41 NMSA 1978;
    |
0004|               ~[R.]~ |S.|  Sections 59A-34-9 through 59A-34-13
    |
0005|     and 59A-34-23 NMSA 1978;
    |
0006|               ~[S.]~ |T.|  Chapter 59A, Article 37 NMSA 1978,
    |
0007|     except Section 59A-37-7 NMSA 1978; ~[and          ||
    |
0008|               T.]~ |U.|  Section 59A-46-15 NMSA 1978; |and|
    |
0009|               |V.  the Patient Protection Act|."
    |
0010|          Section 15.  EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the
    |
0011|     provisions of this act is July 1, 1998.
    |
0012|                              
    |