Section 58-17C-96 - Procedures for appearance before voluntary review panel--Legalrepresentation--Time for issuance of decision.
58-17C-96. Procedures for appearance before voluntary review panel--Legal representation--Time for issuance of decision. If a covered person or the covered person's authorized representative requests the opportunity to appear in person before the review panel appointed pursuant to §§ 58-17C-94 and 58-17C-95, the procedures for conducting the review shall include the following provisions:
(1) The review panel shall schedule and hold a review meeting within forty-five working days after the date of receipt of the request;
(2) The covered person or, if applicable, the covered person's authorized representative shall be notified in writing at least fifteen working days in advance of the date of the review meeting;
(3) The health carrier shall not unreasonably deny a request for postponement of the review made by the covered person or the covered person's authorized representative; and
(4) The review meeting shall be held during regular business hours at a location reasonably accessible to the covered person or, if applicable, the covered person's authorized representative.
In any case in which a face-to-face meeting is not practical for geographic reasons, a health carrier shall offer the covered person or, if applicable, the covered person's authorized representative the opportunity to communicate with the review panel, at the health carrier's expense, by conference call, video conferencing, or other appropriate technology.
If the health carrier desires to have an attorney present to represent the interests of the health carrier, the health carrier shall notify the covered person or, if applicable, the covered person's authorized representative at least fifteen working days in advance of the date of the review meeting that an attorney will be present and that the covered person may wish to obtain legal representation of his or her own.
The review panel shall issue a written decision, as provided in § 58-17C-98, to the covered person or, if applicable, the covered person's authorized representative within five working days of completing the review meeting.
Source: SL 2003, ch 250, § 47.