Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 176O, sec. 21 — MA Code / Part I / Title XXII / Chapter 176O / Section 21
Submission by carrier of annual comprehensive financial statement
Status: in_force

Section 21. [There is no subsection (a).] (b)(1) In this subsection, the following words shall have the following meanings:— ''Carrier'', an insurer licensed or otherwise authorized to transact accident or health insurance under chapter 175; a nonprofit hospital service corporation organized under chapter 176A; a nonprofit medical service corporation organized under chapter 176B; a health maintenance organization organized under chapter 176G; and an organization entering into a preferred provider arrangement under chapter 176I; or a third party administrator, a pharmacy benefit manager or other similar entity with claims data, eligibility data, provider files and other information relating to health care provided to residents of the commonwealth and health care provided by health care providers in the commonwealth; provided, however, that ''carrier'' shall not include any entity to the extent it offers a policy, certificate or contract that is not a health benefit plan, as defined in section 1 of chapter 176J. ''Self-insured customer'', a self-insured group for which a carrier provides administrative services. ''Self-insured group'', a self-insured or self-funded employer group health plan. ''Third-party administrator'', a person who, on behalf of a health insurer or purchaser of health benefits, receives or collects charges, contributions or premiums for, or adjusts or settles claims on or for residents of the commonwealth. (2) Any carrier which provides administrative services to 1 or more self-insured groups shall submit to the division a report including the following information: (i) the number of the carrier's self-insured customers; (ii) the aggregate number of members, as defined in section 1 of chapter 176J, in all of the carrier's self-insured customers; (iii) the aggregate number of lives covered in all of the carrier's self-insured customers; (iv) the percentage of the carrier's self-insured customers that include each of the benefits mandated for health benefit plans under chapters 175, 176A, 176B and 176G; and (v) any other information deemed necessary by the commissioner. (c) A carrier who fails to file this report on or before April 1 shall be assessed a late penalty not to exceed $100 per day. The division shall make public all of the information collected under this section. The division shall issue an annual summary report to the joint committee on financial services, the joint committee on health care financing and the house and senate committees on ways and means of the annual comprehensive financial statements by May 15. The information shall be exchanged with the center for health information and analysis for use under section 10 of chapter 12C. The division shall, from time to time, require payers to submit the underlying data used in their calculations for audit. The commissioner may adopt rules to carry out this subsection, including standards and procedures requiring the registration of persons or entities not otherwise licensed or registered by the commissioner, such as third-party administrators, and criteria for the standardized reporting and uniform allocation methodologies among carriers. The division shall, before adopting regulations under this subsection, consult with other agencies of the commonwealth and the federal government and affected carriers to ensure that the reporting requirements imposed under the regulations are not duplicative. (d) If, for any year, the division determines, based on the report submitted under section 10 of chapter 176G or other sources, that a carrier has a risk-based capital ratio on a combined entity basis that exceeds 700 per cent, the division shall hold a public hearing within 60 days. The carrier shall submit testimony on its overall financial condition and the continued need for additional surplus. The carrier shall also submit testimony on how, and in what proportion to the total surplus accumulated, the carrier will dedicate any additional surplus to reducing the cost of health benefit plans or for health care quality improvement, patient safety or health cost containment activities not conducted in previous years. The division shall review such testimony and issue a final report on the results of the hearing. (e) The commissioner may waive specific reporting requirements in this section for classes of carriers for which the commissioner deems such reporting requirements to be inapplicable; provided, however, that the commissioner shall provide written notice of any such waiver to the joint committee of health care financing and the house and senate committees on ways and means.

Section 21. [There is no subsection (a).]

(b)(1) In this subsection, the following words shall have the following meanings:—

''Carrier'', an insurer licensed or otherwise authorized to transact accident or health insurance under chapter 175; a nonprofit hospital service corporation organized under chapter 176A; a nonprofit medical service corporation organized under chapter 176B; a health maintenance organization organized under chapter 176G; and an organization entering into a preferred provider arrangement under chapter 176I; or a third party administrator, a pharmacy benefit manager or other similar entity with claims data, eligibility data, provider files and other information relating to health care provided to residents of the commonwealth and health care provided by health care providers in the commonwealth; provided, however, that ''carrier'' shall not include any entity to the extent it offers a policy, certificate or contract that is not a health benefit plan, as defined in section 1 of chapter 176J.

''Self-insured customer'', a self-insured group for which a carrier provides administrative services.

''Self-insured group'', a self-insured or self-funded employer group health plan.

''Third-party administrator'', a person who, on behalf of a health insurer or purchaser of health benefits, receives or collects charges, contributions or premiums for, or adjusts or settles claims on or for residents of the commonwealth.

(2) Any carrier which provides administrative services to 1 or more self-insured groups shall submit to the division a report including the following information:

(i) the number of the carrier's self-insured customers;

(ii) the aggregate number of members, as defined in section 1 of chapter 176J, in all of the carrier's self-insured customers;

(iii) the aggregate number of lives covered in all of the carrier's self-insured customers;

(iv) the percentage of the carrier's self-insured customers that include each of the benefits mandated for health benefit plans under chapters 175, 176A, 176B and 176G; and

(v) any other information deemed necessary by the commissioner.

(c) A carrier who fails to file this report on or before April 1 shall be assessed a late penalty not to exceed $100 per day. The division shall make public all of the information collected under this section. The division shall issue an annual summary report to the joint committee on financial services, the joint committee on health care financing and the house and senate committees on ways and means of the annual comprehensive financial statements by May 15. The information shall be exchanged with the center for health information and analysis for use under section 10 of chapter 12C. The division shall, from time to time, require payers to submit the underlying data used in their calculations for audit.

The commissioner may adopt rules to carry out this subsection, including standards and procedures requiring the registration of persons or entities not otherwise licensed or registered by the commissioner, such as third-party administrators, and criteria for the standardized reporting and uniform allocation methodologies among carriers. The division shall, before adopting regulations under this subsection, consult with other agencies of the commonwealth and the federal government and affected carriers to ensure that the reporting requirements imposed under the regulations are not duplicative.

(d) If, for any year, the division determines, based on the report submitted under section 10 of chapter 176G or other sources, that a carrier has a risk-based capital ratio on a combined entity basis that exceeds 700 per cent, the division shall hold a public hearing within 60 days. The carrier shall submit testimony on its overall financial condition and the continued need for additional surplus. The carrier shall also submit testimony on how, and in what proportion to the total surplus accumulated, the carrier will dedicate any additional surplus to reducing the cost of health benefit plans or for health care quality improvement, patient safety or health cost containment activities not conducted in previous years. The division shall review such testimony and issue a final report on the results of the hearing.

(e) The commissioner may waive specific reporting requirements in this section for classes of carriers for which the commissioner deems such reporting requirements to be inapplicable; provided, however, that the commissioner shall provide written notice of any such waiver to the joint committee of health care financing and the house and senate committees on ways and means.