Terms Used In Kansas Statutes 40-3211

  • Commissioner: means the commissioner of insurance of the state of Kansas. See Kansas Statutes 40-3202
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Health care services: means basic health care services and other services, medical equipment and supplies which may include, but are not limited to, medical, surgical and dental care; psychological, obstetrical, osteopathic, optometric, optic, podiatric, nursing, occupational therapy services, physical therapy services, chiropractic services and pharmaceutical services; health education, preventive medical, rehabilitative and home health services; inpatient and outpatient hospital services, extended care, nursing home care, convalescent institutional care, laboratory and ambulance services, appliances, drugs, medicines and supplies; and any other care, service or treatment for the prevention, control or elimination of disease, the correction of defects or the maintenance of the physical or mental well-being of human beings. See Kansas Statutes 40-3202
  • Health maintenance organization: means an organization which:

    (1) Provides or otherwise makes available to enrollees health care services, including at a minimum those basic health care services which are determined by the commissioner to be generally available on an insured or prepaid basis in the geographic area served;

    (2) is compensated, except for reasonable copayments, for the provision of basic health care services to enrollees solely on a predetermined periodic rate basis;

    (3) provides physician services directly through physicians who are either employees or partners of such organization or under arrangements with a physician or any group of physicians or under arrangements as an independent contractor with a physician or any group of physicians;

    (4) is responsible for the availability, accessibility and quality of the health care services provided or made available. See Kansas Statutes 40-3202

  • Medicare provider organization: means an organization which:

    (1) Is a provider-sponsored organization as defined by Section 4001 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (PL 105-33); and

    (2) provides or otherwise makes available to enrollees basic health care services pursuant to Section 4001 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (PL 105-33). See Kansas Statutes 40-3202

  • Provider: means any physician, hospital or other person which is licensed or otherwise authorized in this state to furnish health care services. See Kansas Statutes 40-3202
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Kansas Statutes 77-201

(a) The commissioner may make an examination of the affairs of any health maintenance organization or medicare provider organization and providers with whom such organization has contracts, agreements or other arrangements as often as the commissioner deems it necessary for the protection of the interests of the people of this state but not less frequently than once every five years.

(b) At least once every three years and at such other times as the commissioner may require, a health maintenance organization or medicare provider organization shall obtain an on-site quality of care assessment by an independent quality review organization acceptable to the commissioner for the purpose of evaluating levels of health care delivery according to industry standards as prevailing from time to time. The findings of such independent quality review organization shall be expressed by it in a written opinion relating to the general quality of care provided by the health maintenance organization or medicare provider organization and its related contractors of health care services. Failure to obtain such quality of care assessment or the rendering of an unfavorable opinion by the independent quality review organization shall give the commissioner cause to institute action in accordance with Kan. Stat. Ann. § 40-3205, 40-3206 or 40-3207, and amendments thereto.

(c) Every health maintenance organization or medicare provider organization and any of the medicare provider organization providers shall submit its books and records relating its operation to such examinations. Medical records of individuals and records of providers under a contract to the health maintenance organization or medicare provider organization shall be subject to such examination, but the identity of patients shall not be disclosed in any report to the commissioner or the commissioner’s agents or representatives. For the purpose of examinations, the commissioner may administer oaths to, and examine the officers and agents of the health maintenance organization or medicare provider organization and the principals of such providers.

(d) The fees and expenses of examinations under this section shall be assessed against the organization being examined and remitted to the commissioner. The fees and expenses of the commissioner shall be in accordance with Kan. Stat. Ann. § 40-223, and amendments thereto.

(e) In lieu of such examination, the commissioner may accept the report of an examination made by the appropriate examining agency or official of another state or agency of the federal government.