(a) A health carrier that bases reimbursement to health care providers upon a usual and customary fee must maintain in its office a copy of a description of the methodology used to calculate fees including at least the following:

(1) the frequency of the determination of usual and customary fees;

(2) a general description of the methodology used to determine usual and customary fees; and

(3) the percentile of usual and customary fees that determines the maximum allowable reimbursement.

(b) A health carrier must provide a copy of the information described in paragraph (a) to the commissioner of health or the commissioner of commerce, upon request.

(c) The commissioner of health or the commissioner of commerce, as appropriate, may use to enforce this section any enforcement powers otherwise available to the commissioner with respect to the health carrier. The commissioner of health or commerce, as appropriate, may require health carriers to provide the information required under this section and may use any powers granted under other laws relating to the regulation of health carriers to enforce compliance.

(d) For purposes of this section, "health carrier" has the meaning given in section 62A.011.

(e) "Usual and customary" means the normal charge, in the absence of insurance, of the provider for a service or article, but not more than the prevailing charge in the area for like service or article. A "like service" is the same nature and duration, requires the same skill, and is performed by a provider of similar training and experience. A "like article" is one that is identically or substantially equivalent. "Area" means the municipality or, in the case of a large city, a subdivision of the city, in which the service or article is actually provided or a greater area as is necessary to obtain a representative cross-section of charges for like service or article.

History: 1993 c 345 art 8 s 3; 1997 c 225 art 2 s 5; 1999 c 177 s 40