1. Our AMA supports state regulators as the primary enforcer of network adequacy requirements.
2. Our AMA supports requiring that provider terminations without cause be done prior to the enrollment period, thereby allowing enrollees to have continued access throughout the coverage year to the network they reasonably relied upon when purchasing the product. Physicians may be added to the network at any time.
3. Our AMA supports requiring health insurers to submit and make publicly available, at least quarterly, reports to state regulators that provide data on several measures of network adequacy, including the number and type of providers that have joined or left the network; the number and type of specialists and subspecialists that have left or joined the network; the number and types of providers who have filed an in network claim within the calendar year; total number of claims by provider type made on an out-of-network basis; data that indicate the provision of Essential Health Benefits; and consumer complaints received.
4. Our AMA supports requiring health insurers to indemnify patients for any covered medical expenses provided by out-of-network providers incurred over the co-payments and deductibles that would apply to in-network providers, in the case that a provider network is deemed inadequate by the health plan or appropriate regulatory authorities.
5. Our AMA advocates for regulation and legislation to require that out-of-network expenses count toward a participant’s annual deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums when a patient is enrolled in a plan with out-of-network benefits, or forced to go out-of-network due to network inadequacies.
6. Our AMA supports fair and equitable compensation to out-of-network providers in the event that a provider network is deemed inadequate by the health plan or appropriate regulatory authorities.
7. Our AMA supports health insurers paying out-of-network physicians fairly and equitably for emergency and out-of-network bills in a hospital. AMA policy is that any legislation which addresses this issue should assure that insurer payment for such care be based upon a number of factors, including the physicians’ usual charge, the usual and customary charge for such service, the circumstances of the care and the expertise of the particular physician.
8. Our AMA provides assistance upon request to state medical associations in support of state legislative and regulatory efforts, and disseminate relevant model state legislation, to ensure physicians and patients have access to adequate and fair appeals processes in the event that they are harmed by inadequate networks.
9. Our AMA supports the development of a mechanism by which health insurance enrollees are able to file formal complaints about network adequacy with appropriate regulatory authorities.
10. Our AMA advocates for legislation that prohibits health insurers from falsely advertising that enrollees in their plans have access to physicians of their choosing if the health insurer’s network is limited.
11. Our AMA advocates that health plans should be required to document to regulators that they have met requisite standards of network adequacy including hospital-based physician specialties (i.e. radiology, pathology, emergency medicine, anesthesiologists and hospitalists) at in-network facilities, and ensure in-network adequacy is both timely and geographically accessible.
12. Our AMA supports requiring that health insurers that terminate in-network providers: (a) notify providers of pending termination at least 90 days prior to removal from network; (b) give to providers, at least 60 days prior to distribution, a copy of the health insurer’s letter notifying patients of the provider’s change in network status; and (c) allow the provider 30 days to respond to and contest if necessary the letter prior to its distribution.
Policy Timeline
CMS Rep. 4, I-14 Reaffirmation I-15 Reaffirmed in lieu of Res. 808, I-15 Modified: Sub. Res. 811, I-15 Reaffirmed: CMS Rep. 03, A-17 Reaffirmed: Res. 108, A-17 Appended: Res. 809, I-17 Reaffirmed: Res. 116, A-18, Reaffirmation: A-19