CFR > Title 42 - Public Health > CHAPTER IV—CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES > SUBCHAPTER C—MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS (parts 430 to 456) > PART 438—MANAGED CARE > SUBPART B—State Responsibilities (§438.50 to §438.66) > 438.56—Disenrollment: Requirements and limitations.

438.56—Disenrollment: Requirements and limitations.

(a) Applicability. The provisions of this section apply to all managed care arrangements whether enrollment is mandatory or voluntary and whether the contract is with an MCO, a PIHP, a PAHP, or a PCCM.
(b) Disenrollment requested by the MCO, PIHP, PAHP, or PCCM. All MCO, PIHP, PAHP, and PCCM contracts must—(1) Specify the reasons for which the MCO, PIHP, PAHP, or PCCM may request disenrollment of an enrollee;
(2) Provide that the MCO, PIHP, PAHP, or PCCM may not request disenrollment because of an adverse change in the enrollee's health status, or because of the enrollee's utilization of medical services, diminished mental capacity, or uncooperative or disruptive behavior resulting from his or her special needs (except when his or her continued enrollment in the MCO, PIHP, PAHP, or PCCM seriously impairs the entity's ability to furnish services to either this particular enrollee or other enrollees); and
(3) Specify the methods by which the MCO, PIHP, PAHP, or PCCM assures the agency that it does not request disenrollment for reasons other than those permitted under the contract.
(c) Disenrollment requested by the enrollee. If the State chooses to limit disenrollment, its MCO, PIHP, PAHP, and PCCM contracts must provide that a recipient may request disenrollment as follows:
(1) For cause, at any time.
(2) Without cause, at the following times:
(i) During the 90 days following the date of the recipient's initial enrollment with the MCO, PIHP, PAHP, or PCCM, or the date the State sends the recipient notice of the enrollment, whichever is later.
(ii) At least once every 12 months thereafter.
(iii) Upon automatic reenrollment under paragraph (g) of this section, if the temporary loss of Medicaid eligibility has caused the recipient to miss the annual disenrollment opportunity.
(iv) When the State imposes the intermediate sanction specified in § 438.702(a)(3).
(d) Procedures for disenrollment— (1) Request for disenrollment. The recipient (or his or her representative) must submit an oral or written request—
(i) To the State agency (or its agent); or
(ii) To the MCO, PIHP, PAHP, or PCCM, if the State permits MCOs, PIHP, PAHPs, and PCCMs to process disenrollment requests.
(2) Cause for disenrollment. The following are cause for disenrollment:
(i) The enrollee moves out of the MCO's, PIHP's, PAHP's, or PCCM's service area.
(ii) The plan does not, because of moral or religious objections, cover the service the enrollee seeks.
(iii) The enrollee needs related services (for example a cesarean section and a tubal ligation) to be performed at the same time; not all related services are available within the network; and the enrollee's primary care provider or another provider determines that receiving the services separately would subject the enrollee to unnecessary risk.
(iv) Other reasons, including but not limited to, poor quality of care, lack of access to services covered under the contract, or lack of access to providers experienced in dealing with the enrollee's health care needs.
(3) MCO, PIHP, PAHP, or PCCM action on request. (i) An MCO, PIHP, PAHP, or PCCM may either approve a request for disenrollment or refer the request to the State.
(ii) If the MCO, PIHP, PAHP, PCCM, or State agency (whichever is responsible) fails to make a disenrollment determination so that the recipient can be disenrolled within the timeframes specified in paragraph (e)(1) of this section, the disenrollment is considered approved.
(4) State agency action on request. For a request received directly from the recipient, or one referred by the MCO, PIHP, PAHP, or PCCM, the State agency must take action to approve or disapprove the request based on the following:
(i) Reasons cited in the request.
(ii) Information provided by the MCO, PIHP, PAHP, or PCCM at the agency's request.
(iii) Any of the reasons specified in paragraph (d)(2) of this section.
(5) Use of the MCO, PIHP, PAHP, or PCCM grievance procedures. (i) The State agency may require that the enrollee seek redress through the MCO, PIHP, PAHP, or PCCM's grievance system before making a determination on the enrollee's request.
(ii) The grievance process, if used, must be completed in time to permit the disenrollment (if approved) to be effective in accordance with the timeframe specified in § 438.56(e)(1).
(iii) If, as a result of the grievance process, the MCO, PIHP, PAHP, or PCCM approves the disenrollment, the State agency is not required to make a determination.
(e) Timeframe for disenrollment determinations. (1) Regardless of the procedures followed, the effective date of an approved disenrollment must be no later than the first day of the second month following the month in which the enrollee or the MCO, PIHP, PAHP, or PCCM files the request.
(2) If the MCO, PIHP, PAHP, or PCCM or the State agency (whichever is responsible) fails to make the determination within the timeframes specified in paragraph (e)(1) of this section, the disenrollment is considered approved.
(f) Notice and appeals. A State that restricts disenrollment under this section must take the following actions:
(1) Provide that enrollees and their representatives are given written notice of disenrollment rights at least 60 days before the start of each enrollment period.
(2) Ensure access to State fair hearing for any enrollee dissatisfied with a State agency determination that there is not good cause for disenrollment.
(g) Automatic reenrollment: Contract requirement. If the State plan so specifies, the contract must provide for automatic reenrollment of a recipient who is disenrolled solely because he or she loses Medicaid eligibility for a period of 2 months or less.