Virginia Law

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Adverse benefit determination" in the context of the internal appeals process means (i) a determination by a health carrier or its designee utilization review entity that, based on the information provided, a request for, a benefit under the health carrier's health benefit plan upon application of any utilization review technique does not meet the health carrier's requirements for medical necessity, appropriateness, health care setting, level of care, or effectiveness or is determined to be experimental or investigational and the requested benefit is therefore denied, reduced, or terminated or payment is not provided or made, in whole or in part, for the requested benefit; (ii) the denial, reduction, or termination of, or failure to provide or make payment in whole or in part for, a benefit based on a determination by a health carrier or its designee utilization review entity of a covered person's eligibility to participate in the health carrier's health benefit plan; (iii) any review determination that denies, reduces, or terminates or fails to provide or make payment, in whole or in part, for a benefit; (iv) a rescission of coverage determination as defined in § 38.2-3438 of the Code of Virginia; or (v) any decision to deny individual coverage in an initial eligibility determination.

"Adverse determination" in the context of external review means a determination by a health carrier or its designee utilization review entity that an admission, availability of care, continued stay, or other health care service that is a covered benefit has been reviewed and, based upon the information provided, does not meet the health carrier's requirements for medical necessity, appropriateness, health care setting, level of care, or effectiveness or is determined to be experimental or investigational and the requested service or payment for the service is therefore denied, reduced, or terminated.

"Authorized representative" means (i) a person to whom a covered person has given express written consent to represent the covered person; (ii) a person authorized by law to provide substituted consent for a covered person; (iii) a family member of a covered person or the covered person's treating health care professional when the covered person is unable to provide consent; (iv) a health care professional when the covered person's health benefit plan requires that a request for a benefit under the plan be initiated by the health care professional; or (v) in the case of an urgent care internal appeal, a health care professional with knowledge of the covered person's medical condition.

"Clinical peer reviewer" means a practicing health care professional who holds a nonrestricted license in a state, district, or territory of the United States and in the same or similar specialty as typically manages the medical condition, procedure, or treatment under appeal.

"Commission" means the State Corporation Commission.

"Concurrent review" means utilization review conducted during a patient's stay or course of treatment in a facility, the office of a health care professional, or other inpatient or outpatient health care setting.

"Covered person" means a policyholder, subscriber, enrollee, or other individual participating in a health benefit plan. For purposes of this chapter with respect to the administration of appeals, references to a covered person include a covered person's authorized representative, if any.

"Emergency services" means those health care services that are rendered after the sudden onset of a medical condition that manifests itself by symptoms of sufficient severity, including severe pain, that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected by a prudent layperson who possesses an average knowledge of health and medicine to result in (i) serious jeopardy to the mental or physical health of the individual, (ii) danger of serious impairment of the individual's bodily functions, (iii) serious dysfunction of any of the individual's bodily organs, or (iv) in the case of a pregnant woman, serious jeopardy to the health of the fetus.

"Exception request" means a process that allows a covered person, authorized representative, or prescribing physician (or other prescriber, as appropriate) to request and gain access to clinically appropriate drugs not otherwise covered by a health benefit plan in the individual and small group market because of formulary restrictions.

"Final adverse determination" means an adverse determination involving a covered benefit that has been upheld by a health carrier, or its designee utilization review entity, at the completion of the health carrier's internal appeal process.

"Group health plan" means an employee welfare benefit plan (as defined in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 USC § 1002(1)), to the extent that the plan provides medical care and including items and services paid for as medical care to employees or their dependents (as defined under the terms of the plan) directly or through insurance, reimbursement, or otherwise.

"Health benefit plan" means a policy, contract, certificate, or agreement offered or issued by a health carrier to provide, deliver, arrange for, pay for, or reimburse any of the costs of health care services. "Health benefit plan" does not include accident only, credit, or disability insurance; coverage of Medicare services or federal employee health plans pursuant to contracts with the United States government; Medicare supplement or long-term care insurance; Medicaid coverage; dental only or vision only insurance; specified disease insurance; hospital indemnity coverage; limited benefit health coverage; coverage issued as a supplement to liability insurance; insurance arising out of a workers' compensation or similar law; automobile medical payment insurance; medical expense and loss of income benefits; or insurance under which benefits are payable with or without regard to fault and that is statutorily required to be contained in any liability insurance policy or equivalent self-insurance.

"Health care professional" means a physician or other health care practitioner licensed, accredited, or certified to perform specified health care services consistent with the laws of the Commonwealth.

"Health carrier" means an entity, subject to the insurance laws and regulations of the Commonwealth or subject to the jurisdiction of the commission, that contracts or offers to contract to provide, deliver, arrange for, pay for, or reimburse any of the costs of health care services, including an accident and sickness insurance company, a health maintenance organization, a nonprofit hospital and health service corporation, or a nonstock corporation offering or administering a health services plan, a hospital services plan, or a medical or surgical services plan, or any other entity providing a plan of health insurance, health benefits, or health care services except as excluded under § 38.2-3557 of the Code of Virginia.

"Independent review organization" means an entity that conducts independent external reviews of adverse determinations and final adverse determinations, as well as alleged violations of 14VAC5-216-30 through 14VAC5-216-70 pertaining to internal appeal.

"PPACA" means the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148), as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-152).

"Pre-service claim" means a claim for a benefit under a health benefit plan that requires approval of the benefit in whole or in part, in advance of obtaining the service or treatment.

"Post-service claim" means a claim for a benefit under a health benefit plan that is not a pre-service claim, or the service or treatment has been provided to the covered person.

"Self-insured plan" means an "employee welfare benefit plan" that has the meaning set forth in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29 USC § 1002(1).

"Urgent care appeal" means an appeal for medical care or treatment with respect to which the application of the time periods for making non-urgent care determinations (i) could seriously jeopardize the life or health of the covered person or the ability of the covered person to regain maximum function; or (ii) in the opinion of the treating health care professional with knowledge of the covered person's medical condition, would subject the covered person to severe pain that cannot be adequately managed without the care or treatment that is the subject of the appeal. An urgent care appeal shall not be available for any post-service claim or retrospective adverse benefit determination.

"Utilization review" means a set of formal techniques designed to monitor the use of or evaluate the clinical necessity, appropriateness, efficacy, or efficiency of health care services, procedures or settings. Techniques may include ambulatory review, prospective review, second opinion, certification, concurrent review, case management, discharge planning, or retrospective review.