With consumer protection as our primary mission, the Connecticut Insurance Department (CID) takes very seriously its regulation of the industry to ensure carriers comply with state laws and regulations.
With consumer protection as our primary mission, the Connecticut Insurance Department (CID) takes very seriously its regulation of the industry to ensure carriers comply with state laws and regulations.
The Hartford Business Journal's Feb. 6 article on the state's new health insurance network adequacy law (“CT expands scrutiny of health plans”), was correct in its characterization of how the law evolved. It took the work of many stakeholders — CID, physician groups, the industry and consumers — to craft a law that ensures consumers have access to robust networks and accurate, transparent provider directories. There are a few points, however, that I would like to share for clarification so that HBJ readers understand this review process.
The CID review is on target with the timelines for reviewing surveys of each carrier's network. It is a dynamic process that began in the fall and required CID to request more information from some carriers because we felt we needed more information to determine compliance. As we have done from our analysis of the October survey, we have asked carriers to make changes and we will continue to do so if necessary from the additional information we have requested.
The CID review is very thorough and requires carriers to provide a detailed set of metrics and processes that include: Number and type of specialists, geographic standards, average length of a provider contract, processes for provider directory accuracy, etc. The Network Adequacy Survey is public and posted on our website.
Ensuring that consumers have the most up-to-date information on provider networks allows individuals and employers to make informed choices when it comes time to select a health plan that best meets their needs. This new law gives the CID another regulatory tool to do just that.
I appreciate the HBJ's coverage of this important new law at this early juncture of implementation.
Respectfully,
Katharine L. Wade Insurance Commissioner State of Connecticut
