Provider Contracting Requirements
See bold text below:
A. R.S. 40:1300.115 requires managed care organizations to accept qualifying rural hospitals, and their practicing physicians who meet specific statutory criteria, as providers of health care subject to the terms and conditions that are no more restrictive than applicable to other hospitals. This requirement applies in every parish where a managed care organization holding a valid certificate of authority issued by the Louisiana Department of Insurance, has policies, subscriber agreements, or contracts for delivery of benefits in effect. R.S. 22:2016.E. requires all hospitals and health care providers utilized by health maintenance organizations to be licensed under applicable state law. R.S. 22:2021 prohibits health maintenance organizations from adopting or utilizing administrative treatment guidelines that fall below the appropriate standard of care. Additionally, R.S. 22:2019 prohibits the utilization of a certificate of authority by any person other than the organization or entity issued said certificate.
1. All contracts for delivery of covered medical services shall be between the managed care organization and a health care provider, except contracts with other insurers for provision of health coverage. A managed care organization is only authorized to contract for delivery of health care services with one or more health care providers. Contracts with brokers, agents, or any entity other than a health care provider for the provision of covered medical services are prohibited. A managed care organization may allow health care providers to utilize other health care providers under contract with the managed care organization.
2. A managed care organization shall limit the medical services included under a health care provider contract to those for which the health care provider is qualified and reasonably capable of providing.
3. A managed care organization shall not adopt or utilize payment standards for health care providers that:
a. require or induce by incentive or payment, the delivery of inappropriate medical care or treatment services;
b. allow the provision of inappropriate or unnecessary medical procedures or treatment services;
c. allow health care providers to perform, for payment, medical or treatment services for which they are not qualified;
d. include an incentive or specific payment made directly or indirectly, in any form, to a health care provider as an inducement to deny, reduce, limit, or delay specific, medically necessary, and appropriate services provided with respect to a specific insured or groups of insureds with similar medical conditions.
4. In any review of the terms and conditions of a health care provider’s contract conducted by the Department of Insurance, the contract shall not be subject to disclosure to any other health care provider without the expressed written consent of the parties to such contract, except as otherwise allowed by law.