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Ohio Administrative Code (Last Updated: January 12, 2021) |
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4123 Bureau of Workers' Compensation |
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Chapter4123-6. Health Partnership Program |
4123-6-16. Alternative dispute resolution for HPP medical issues
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(A) Pursuant to division (A)(1) of section 4121.441 of the Revised Code, this rule shall provide procedures for an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process for medical disputes between an employer, an employee, or a provider and an MCO arising from the MCO's decision regarding a medical treatment reimbursement request (on form C-9 or equivalent). An employee or employer must exhaust the ADR procedures of this rule prior to filing an appeal under section 4123.511 of the Revised Code on an MCO's decision regarding a medical treatment reimbursement request.
(B) Within fourteen days of receipt of an MCO decision , an employee, employer, or provider may dispute the decision in writing (on form C-11 or equivalent) to the MCO. The written medical dispute must contain, at a minimum, the following elements:
(1) Injured worker name.
(2) Injured worker claim number.
(3) Date of initial medical treatment reimbursement request in dispute.
(4) Specific issue(s) in dispute, including description, frequency/duration, beginning/ending dates, and type of treatment/service/body part.
(5) Name of party making written appeal request.
(6) Signature of party making written appeal request or the party's authorized representative.
Written medical disputes that do not contain the minimum elements set forth in this paragraph may be dismissed by the MCO or bureau.
(C) Upon receipt of a written medical dispute, the MCO shall initiate the ADR process. The MCO's ADR process shall consist of one independent level of professional review as follows:
(1) If an individual health care provider eligible to be physician of record would be providing the services requested in the dispute, the independent level of professional review shall consist of a peer review conducted by an individual or individuals licensed pursuant to the same section of the Revised Code as the health care provider who would be providing the services requested.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (C)(1) of this rule, if the MCO has already obtained one or more peer reviews during previous disputes involving the same or similar treatment, the MCO may obtain a different perspective review from a licensed physician who falls outside the peer review criteria set forth above.
(3) If an individual health care provider not eligible to be physician of record would be providing the services requested in the dispute, the independent level of professional review shall consist of a provider review conducted by an individual or individuals eligible to be physician of record whose scope of practice includes the services requested.
(4) If the MCO receives a dispute where the requested treatment appears to be the same as or similar to a previous treatment request for which the MCO conducted a professional review, and the previous treatment request was ultimately denied based on the professional review, the MCO may use the previous professional review to satisfy the independent level of professional review requirement of this paragraph.
(5) The MCO shall submit a copy of the professional review to the bureau, and the bureau shall provide the parties to the claim access to the professional review electronically.
(D) If, upon consideration of additional evidence or after agreement with the party that submitted the written medical dispute, the MCO reverses the decision under dispute or otherwise resolves the dispute to the satisfaction of the party, the MCO may issue a new decision and dismiss the dispute.
(E) Unless the MCO reverses the decision under dispute pursuant to paragraph (D) of this rule, the MCO shall complete the ADR process and submit its recommended ADR decision to the bureau electronically within twenty-one days of the MCO's receipt of the written medical dispute. The MCO may recommend that the employee be scheduled for an independent medical examination. This recommendation shall toll the MCO's time frame for completing the ADR process, and in such cases the MCO shall submit its recommended ADR decision to the bureau electronically within seven days after receipt of the independent medical examination report.
(F) Within two business days after receipt of a recommended ADR decision from the MCO, the bureau shall publish a final order. This order shall be mailed to all parties and may be appealed to the industrial commission pursuant to section 4123.511 of the Revised Code. The provider and the MCO may not file an appeal of the bureau order.
(G) Notwithstanding paragraph (C) of this rule, the MCO may pend a written medical dispute under the following circumstances:
(1) If the MCO receives a written medical dispute involving a medical treatment reimbursement request that appears to be the same as or similar to a previous treatment request for which the MCO conducted a provider review, and the previous treatment request is pending before the bureau or industrial commission, the MCO may pend the new dispute until the previous treatment request has been resolved. Once the previous treatment request has been resolved, the MCO shall resume the ADR process, and may proceed in accordance with paragraph (C)(4) of this rule if appropriate.
(2) If the MCO receives a written medical dispute involving a medical treatment reimbursement request relating to the delivery of medical services for a condition that is not allowed in the claim, and the issue of the allowance of the additional condition is pending before the bureau or industrial commission, the MCO may pend the dispute until the earlier of the final administrative or judicial decision or the industrial commission staff hearing officer decision on the allowance of the additional condition , at which time the MCO shall resume the ADR process.
(H) Notwithstanding paragraph (C) of this rule, an MCO may submit its recommended ADR decision to the bureau electronically without obtaining an independent level of professional review under the following circumstances:
(1) The MCO receives a written medical dispute involving a medical treatment reimbursement request relating to the delivery of medical services that have been approved by the MCO pursuant to standard treatment guidelines, pathways, or presumptive authorization guidelines.
(2) The MCO receives a written medical dispute involving a medical treatment reimbursement request relating to the delivery of medical services for a condition that is not allowed in the claim, and the issue of the allowance of the additional condition is not pending before the bureau or industrial commission.