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STATE OF MAINE
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IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR
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H.P. 953 - L.D. 1498
An Act to Create a Liaison Program and Complaint Process Within the
Bureau of Insurance for Independent Health Care Providers
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 24-A MRSA c. 56-A, sub-c. 2-B is enacted to read:
SUBCHAPTER 2-B
INDEPENDENT HEALTH CARE PROVIDER ASSISTANCE
ยง4329. Independent health care provider assistance
1. Independent health care provider defined. For the purposes of this section,
"independent health care provider" means an independent health care practitioner or group
of independent health care practitioners with 6 or fewer health care practitioners, but does
not include a health care practitioner employed by a hospital or health system or a group of
health care practitioners that is owned or operated, in whole or in part, by a hospital or
health system.
2. Liaison program. The bureau shall establish a liaison program, referred to in this
section as "the program," to provide assistance to independent health care providers as set
forth in this section.
3. Duties. The duties of the program include:
A. Providing information to independent health care providers on how to contact the
program for assistance through the bureau's publicly accessible website and through a
toll-free number;
B. Providing information to independent health care providers on the bureau's publicly
accessible website regarding the State's health insurance laws and rules and the rights
and responsibilities of carriers and health care providers;
C. Assisting independent health care providers with inquiries related to the State's
health insurance laws and rules; and
APPROVED
APRIL 2, 2024
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
590
PUBLIC LAW Page 2 - 131LR1454(03)
D. Receiving information from independent health care providers regarding regulatory
or compliance issues that may have a market-wide impact.
4. Provider complaint process. The bureau shall establish a process to receive and
investigate complaints from independent health care providers regarding an alleged
violation of any provision of this Title or any rule adopted pursuant to this Title. The bureau
may also receive and investigate complaints from providers other than independent health
care providers.
5. Confidentiality. With respect to the program or complaints, records,
correspondence and reports of investigation in connection with actual or claimed violations
of this Title or a rule adopted pursuant to this Title are confidential to the same extent as
records, correspondence and reports of investigation of consumer complaints under section
216.
6. Procedures for data collection. The bureau may establish procedures for collecting,
tracking and quantifying requests for assistance and complaints.
7. Aggregate information. The bureau shall compile and publish aggregate
information regarding complaints received under subsection 4 on its publicly accessible
website.
8. Staffing resources. The bureau may consider staffing resources and any limitations
on those resources when establishing guidelines regarding the assistance provided through
the program and complaint process.
9. Rules. The bureau may adopt rules to implement this section. Rules adopted
pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375,
subchapter 2-A.
10. No legal representation. This section does not authorize the bureau to act as a
legal representative of a provider or to provide assistance with contract negotiations or
interpretations of the terms of contracts between providers and carriers in any manner
through the program or complaint process.
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
allocations are made.
PROFESSIONAL AND FINANCIAL REGULATION, DEPARTMENT OF
Insurance - Bureau of 0092
Initiative: Provides funding for one Senior Insurance Analyst position to manage the
independent health care provider assistance liaison program and complaint process.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
2023-24 2024-25POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT 0.000 1.000Personal Services $0 $100,788All Other $0 $15,725
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OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL
$0 $116,513