grievance procedure for providers.

A. No managed health care plan may:

(1)     adopt a gag rule or practice that prohibits a health care provider from discussing a treatment option with an enrollee even if the plan does not approve of the option;

(2)     include in any of its contracts with health care providers any provisions that offer an inducement, financial or otherwise, to provide less than medically necessary services to an enrollee; or

(3)     require a health care provider to violate any recognized fiduciary duty of his profession or place his license in jeopardy.

B. A plan that proposes to terminate a health care provider from the managed health care plan shall explain in writing the rationale for its proposed termination and deliver reasonable advance written notice to the provider prior to the proposed effective date of the termination.

C. A managed health care plan shall adopt and implement a process pursuant to which providers may raise with the plan concerns that they may have regarding operation of the plan, including concerns regarding quality of and access to health care services, the choice of health care providers and the adequacy of the plan’s provider network. The process shall include, at a minimum, the right of the provider to present the provider’s concerns to a plan committee responsible for the substantive area addressed by the concern, and the assurance that the concern will be conveyed to the plan’s governing body. In addition, a managed health care plan shall adopt and implement a fair hearing plan that permits a health care provider to dispute the existence of adequate cause to terminate the provider’s participation with the plan to the extent that the relationship is terminated for cause and shall include in each provider contract a dispute resolution mechanism.