PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor

Ch. 548

SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section 2 of this Act shall
take effect October 1, 1997.

Approved May 14, 1996.

CHAPTER 548
(House Bill 1374)

AN ACT concerning

Health Care Provider and Payor Act of 1996

FOR the purpose of prohibiting certain insurers and health maintenance organizations
from prohibiting health care practitioners from disclosing or communicating certain
information to enrollees, subscribers, and certain other persons under certain
circumstances; prohibiting insurers and health maintenance organizations from
requiring health care providers to indemnify or hold harmless the insurer or health
maintenance organization from any liability arising from a coverage decision or
negligent act by the insurer or health maintenance organization under certain
circumstances; requiring health maintenance organizations that use a certain
practice profile to evaluate a provider under contract with the health maintenance
organization to disclose to the provider certain information concerning the practice
profile prior to taking a certain action against the provider; prohibiting certain
insurers and health maintenance organizations from withholding certain
reimbursements regardless of the method of reimbursement used by the insurer or
health maintenance organization; altering a certain provision of law related to
developing certain forms to require that a certain study be performed by certain
persons related to the feasibility of a certain uniform voucher form; making a
certain technical correction; establishing a certain study group to evaluate the use
and effectiveness of certain patient and provider grievance appeal procedures;
requiring the study group to make a certain report by a certain date; providing for
the application of certain provisions of this Act to health maintenance
organizations; defining certain terms; providing for the effective date of certain
provisions of this Act; and generally relating to certain insurers and health
maintenance organizations.

BY adding to

Article 48A - Insurance Code

Section 354RR, 470HH, 477RR, and 490FF

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1994 Replacement Volume and 1995 Supplement)

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article 48A - Insurance Code
Section 490DD
Annotated Code of Maryland

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