31A-2-216 - Office of Consumer Health Assistance.
31A-2-216. Office of Consumer Health Assistance.
(1) The commissioner shall establish:
(a) an Office of Consumer Health Assistance before July 1, 1999; and
(b) a committee to advise the commissioner on consumer assistance rendered under thissection.
(2) The office shall:
(a) be a resource for health care consumers concerning health care coverage or the needfor such coverage;
(b) help health care consumers understand:
(i) contractual rights and responsibilities;
(ii) statutory protections; and
(iii) available remedies;
(c) educate health care consumers:
(i) by producing or collecting and disseminating educational materials to consumers,health insurers, and health benefit plans; and
(ii) through outreach and other educational activities;
(d) for health care consumers that have difficulty in accessing their health insurancepolicies because of language, disability, age, or ethnicity, provide services, directly or throughreferral, such as:
(i) information and referral; and
(ii) adverse benefit determination process initiation;
(e) analyze and monitor federal and state consumer health-related statutes, rules, andregulations; and
(f) summarize information gathered under this section and make the summaries availableto the public, government agencies, and the Legislature.
(3) The office may:
(a) obtain data from health care consumers as necessary to further the office's dutiesunder this section;
(b) investigate complaints and attempt to resolve complaints at the lowest possible level;and
(c) assist, but not testify or represent, a consumer in an adverse benefit determination,arbitration, judicial, or related proceeding, unless the proceeding is in connection with anenforcement action brought under Section 31A-2-308.
(4) The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to implement the requirements of thissection.
Amended by Chapter 308, 2002 General Session