ENROLLED 2017 Regular Session HOUSE BILL NO. 188 BY REPRESENTATIVE CROMER 1 AN ACT 2 To amend and reenact R.S. 22:2444, relative to the funding of an external review of a health 3 insurance issuer; to provide that the issuer pay the cost of the review; to provide for 4 documentation of the costs; to provide for appeal; and to provide for related matters. 5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana: 6 Section 1. R.S. 22:2444 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows: 7 ยง2444. Funding of external review 8 A. The health insurance issuer against which a request for a standard external 9 review or an expedited external review is filed shall pay the cost of the independent 10 review organization for conducting the external review, and no fee or other charge 11 may be levied upon a covered person for any costs of an external review. 12 B.(1) The amount charged by the independent review organization as the 13 cost to be paid by the health insurance issuer shall be a reasonable amount for the 14 actual review performed. The independent review organization shall provide 15 adequate documentation to the health insurance issuer justifying the amount charged. 16 (2) A health insurance issuer that believes that the amount charged for a 17 review by an independent review organization is not reasonable may appeal those 18 charges to the commissioner. In conducting the appeal, the commissioner shall 19 review the amount charged, make a determination regarding the reasonableness of 20 the amount charged, and, if warranted, may order an appropriate reduction. The 21 commissioner may request additional information from the independent review Page 1 of 2 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. HB NO. 188 ENROLLED 1 organization, the health insurance issuer, or other independent review organizations 2 or healthcare providers in making his determination. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA APPROVED: Page 2 of 2 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.