Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 41 - PUBLIC HEALTH (§§ 41-1-1 — 41-149-NEW-003) › Chapter [145] - [MISSISSIPPI PRIOR AUTHORIZATION REFORM ACT] (§§ 41-145-NEW-001 — 41-145-NEW-019) › Section 41-145-NEW-004 - [Newly enacted section not yet numbered] Definitions

For purposes of this act, unless the context requires otherwise, the following terms shall have the meanings as defined in this section:
(a)
"Adverse determination" means a determination by a health insurance issuer that, based on the information provided, a request for a benefit under the health insurance issuer's health benefit plan upon application of any utilization review technique does not meet the health insurance issuer's requirements for medical necessity, appropriateness, health care setting, level of care, or effectiveness or is determined to be experimental or investigational and the requested benefit is therefore denied, reduced, or terminated or payment is not provided or made, in whole or in part, for the benefit; the denial, reduction, or termination of or failure to provide or make payment, in whole or in part, for a benefit based on a determination by a health insurance issuer that a preexisting condition was present before the effective date of coverage; or a rescission of coverage determination, which does not include a cancellation or discontinuance of coverage that is attributable to a failure to timely pay required premiums or contributions toward the cost of coverage.
(b)
"Appeal" means a formal request, either orally or in writing, to reconsider an adverse determination.
(c)
"Approval" means a determination by a health insurance issuer that a health care service has been reviewed and, based on the information provided, satisfies the health insurance issuer's requirements for medical necessity and appropriateness.
(d)
"Clinical review criteria" means the written screening procedures, decision abstracts, clinical protocols and practice guidelines used by a health insurance issuer to determine the necessity and appropriateness of health care services.
(e)
"Department" means the Mississippi State Department of Insurance.
(f)
"Emergency medical condition" means a medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity, including, but not limited to, severe pain, such that a prudent layperson who possesses an average knowledge of health and medicine could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in:
(i)
Placing the health of the individual or, with respect to a pregnant woman, the health of the woman or her unborn child, in serious jeopardy;
(ii)
Serious impairment to bodily functions; or
(iii)
Serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part.
(g)
"Emergency services" means health care items and services furnished or required to evaluate and treat an emergency medical condition.
(h)
"Enrollee" means any person and his or her dependents enrolled in or covered by a health care plan.
(i)
"Health care professional" means a physician, a registered professional nurse or other individual appropriately licensed or registered to provide health care services.
(j)
"Health care provider" means any physician, hospital, ambulatory surgery center, or other person or facility that is licensed or otherwise authorized to deliver health care services.
(k)
"Health care service" means any services or level of services included in the furnishing to an individual of medical care or the hospitalization incident to the furnishing of such care, as well as the furnishing to any person of any other services for the purpose of preventing, alleviating, curing, or healing human illness or injury, including behavioral health, mental health, home health and pharmaceutical services and products.
(l)
"Health insurance issuer" has the meaning given to that term in Section
83-9-6.3
. Any provision of this act that applies to a "health insurance issuer" also applies to any person or entity covered under the scope of this act in Section 3 of this act.
(m)
"Medically necessary" means a health care professional exercising prudent clinical judgment would provide care to a patient for the purpose of preventing, diagnosing, or treating an illness, injury, disease or its symptoms and that are:
(i)
In accordance with generally accepted standards of medical practice; and
(ii)
Clinically appropriate in terms of type, frequency, extent, site and duration and are considered effective for the patient's illness, injury or disease; and not primarily for the convenience of the patient, treating physician, other health care professional, caregiver, family member or other interested party, but focused on what is best for the patient's health outcome.
(n)
"Physician" means any person with a valid doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathy or doctor of podiatry degree.
(o)
"Prior authorization" means the process by which a health insurance issuer determines the medical necessity and medical appropriateness of an otherwise covered health care service before the rendering of such health care service. "Prior authorization" includes any health insurance issuer's requirement that an enrollee, health care professional or health care provider notify the health insurance issuer before, at the time of, or concurrent to providing a health care service.
(p)
"Urgent health care service" means a health care service with respect to which the application of the time periods for making a nonexpedited prior authorization that in the opinion of a treating health care professional or health care provider with knowledge of the enrollee's medical condition:
(i)
Could seriously jeopardize the life or health of the enrollee or the ability of the enrollee to regain maximum function;
(ii)
Could subject the enrollee to severe pain that cannot be adequately managed without the care or treatment that is the subject of the utilization review; or
(iii)
Could lead to likely onset of an emergency medical condition if the service is not rendered during the time period to render a prior authorization determination for an urgent medical service.
(q)
"Urgent health care service" does not include emergency services.
(r)
"Private review agent" has the meaning given to that term in Section
41-83-1
.
Added by Laws, 2024, ch. 302, SB 2140,§ 4, eff. 7/1/2024.