HOUSE BILL No. 4274

 

February 15, 2005, Introduced by Reps. Vander Veen, Gosselin, Taub and Drolet and referred to the Committee on Education.

 

     A bill to amend 1984 PA 218, entitled

 

"Third party administrator act,"

 

by amending section 34 (MCL 550.934) and by adding section 31.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 31. (1) If the sponsor of a benefit plan is a public

 

school employer, the service contract for the plan shall provide

 

that claims history under the contract shall be made available upon

 

request to the public school employer.

 

     (2) Claims history to be provided under subsection (1) shall

 

include all of the following information for the benefit plan on a

 

school district basis for the immediately preceding 12-month

 

period:

 

     (a) Total number of individuals covered.

 


     (b) Total number of claims paid.

 

     (c) Total number of claims pending and the total dollar amount

 

of those claims.

 

     (d) Claims experience data by coverage component.

 

     (e) Any other health claims data necessary for the public

 

school employer to obtain competitive bids for other third party

 

administrator services or other health care coverage.

 

     (3) Information under subsection (2) shall not disclose

 

personal data that may reveal the identity of a covered individual.

 

     (4) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "Public school employer" means that term as defined in

 

section 1 of 1947 PA 336, MCL 423.201.

 

     (b) "School district" means an intermediate school district,

 

local act school district, public school academy, or school

 

district as those terms are defined in sections 4, 5, and 6 of the

 

revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.4, 380.5, and 380.6.

 

     Sec. 34. (1) A TPA shall provide for the confidentiality of

 

personal data identifying an individual covered by a plan. A TPA

 

shall not disclose records containing personal information that may

 

be associated with an identifiable individual covered by a plan to

 

a person other than the individual to whom the information

 

pertains. Except as is necessary to comply with a court order, an

 

administrator shall not disclose personal data concerning a covered

 

individual without the prior consent of the covered individual. If

 

the individual covered by a plan has authorized the release of

 

information to a third person, the third person shall not release

 

that information unless the individual executes in writing another

 


consent authorizing the additional release.

 

     (2) Subsection (1)  shall  does not  be construed to  apply to

 

information disclosed for any of the following reasons:

 

     (a) For claims adjudication.

 

     (b) For claims verification.

 

     (c) For other proper plan administration.

 

     (d) For an audit conducted pursuant to ERISA.

 

     (e) To an insurer for the purchase of excess loss insurance

 

and for claims under the excess loss insurance. However, an insurer

 

obtaining information under this subdivision  shall be  is subject

 

to the requirements of subsection (1).

 

     (f) To the plan or a fiduciary of the plan.

 

     (g) To the commissioner. However, information obtained by the

 

commissioner under this subdivision  shall be  is exempt from

 

disclosure under the freedom of information act,  Act No. 442 of

 

the Public Acts of 1976, being sections 15.231 to 15.246 of the

 

Michigan Compiled Laws  1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246.

 

     (h) As required by section 31.

 

     (i)   (h)  As required by law.