Provider profiling programs
1. Disclosure. At least 60 days prior to using or publicly disclosing the results of the provider profiling program, a carrier with a provider profiling program shall disclose to providers the methodologies, criteria, data and analysis used to evaluate provider quality, performance and cost, including but not limited to unit cost, price and cost-efficiency ratings. For the purposes of this subsection, the disclosure of data is satisfied by the provision by a carrier of a description of the data used in the evaluation, the source of the data, the time period subject to evaluation and, if applicable, the types of claims used in the evaluation including any adjustments to the data and exclusion from the data.
2. Provider profile. A carrier shall create and share with providers their provider profile at least 60 days prior to using or publicly disclosing the results of the provider profiling program.
3. Request for data. A provider may request a copy of its data within 30 days of the carrier’s disclosure to a provider as required by subsection 2, and, upon request from a provider, a carrier shall provide to that provider the data associated with the requesting provider and all adjustments to the data used to evaluate that provider as part of the carrier’s provider profiling program. The bureau shall adopt rules to establish requirements for the disclosure of data by a carrier to a provider in accordance with this subsection. The bureau shall provide in the rules for a time and manner of disclosure consistent with a carrier’s ability to adopt, revise and develop an effective provider profiling program.
4. Appeals. A carrier shall establish a process that affords a provider the opportunity to review and dispute its provider profiling result within 30 days of being provided with its provider profile pursuant to subsection 2. The appeal process must:
A. Afford the provider the opportunity to correct material errors, submit additional information for consideration and seek review of data and performance ratings;
B. Afford the provider the opportunity to review any information or evaluation prepared by a 3rd party and used by the carrier as part of its provider profiling program; however, if the 3rd party provides the right to review and correct that data, any appeal pursuant to this paragraph is limited to whether the carrier accurately portrayed the information and not to the underlying determination made by the 3rd party; and
C. Allow the provider to request reconsideration of its provider profiling result and submit supplemental information, including information demonstrating any computational or data errors.
5. Out-of-network providers. If a carrier has a provider profiling program that includes out-of-network providers, a carrier must meet the requirements of this section with regard to an out-of-network provider as well as for a provider in a carrier’s network.
6. Rules. The bureau shall adopt rules necessary to implement this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
See http://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/24-A/title24-Ach56-Asec0.html