House Study Bill 502 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BILL BY CHAIRPERSON HARRIS) A BILL FOR An Act relating to health insurers’ credentialing process. 1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 2 TLSB 5349YC (2) 91 nls/ko
H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 514F.6, Code 2026, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 514F.6 Credentialing. 3 1. Retrospective payment. The commissioner shall adopt 4 rules to provide for the retrospective payment of clean 5 claims for covered services provided by a physician, advanced 6 registered nurse practitioner, or physician assistant health 7 care professional during the credentialing period, once the 8 physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or physician 9 assistant health care professional is credentialed. 10 2. Credentialing process. 11 a. A health insurer shall respond to a physician, advanced 12 registered nurse practitioner, or physician assistant’s health 13 care professional’s request for credentialing within fifty-six 14 calendar days from the date of the request. 15 b. If a physician’s, advanced registered nurse 16 practitioner’s, or physician assistant’s health care 17 professional’s request for credentialing is denied by the 18 health insurer, the health insurer shall provide a reason for 19 the denial, in writing, to the physician, advanced registered 20 nurse practitioner, or physician assistant health care 21 professional . 22 3. Definitions. For purposes of this section : 23 a. “Advanced registered nurse practitioner” means a person 24 currently licensed as a registered nurse under chapter 152 or 25 152E who is licensed by the board of nursing as an advanced 26 registered nurse practitioner. 27 b. a. “Clean claim” means the same as defined in section 28 507B.4A, subsection 2 , paragraph “b” . 29 c. b. “Credentialing” means a process through which 30 a health insurer makes a determination based on criteria 31 established by the health insurer concerning whether a 32 physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or physician 33 assistant health care professional is eligible to provide 34 health care services to an insured and to receive reimbursement 35 -1- LSB 5349YC (2) 91 nls/ko 1/ 2
H.F. _____ for the health care services provided under an agreement 1 entered into between the physician, advanced registered nurse 2 practitioner, or physician assistant health care professional 3 and the health insurer. 4 d. c. “Credentialing period” means the time period between 5 the health insurer’s receipt of a physician’s, advanced 6 registered nurse practitioner’s, or physician assistant’s 7 health care professional’s application for credentialing and 8 approval of that application by the health insurer. 9 d. “Health care professional” means the same as defined in 10 section 514J.102. 11 e. “Physician” means a licensed doctor of medicine and 12 surgery or a licensed doctor of osteopathic medicine and 13 surgery. 14 f. “Physician assistant” means the same as defined in 15 section 148C.1 . 16 EXPLANATION 17 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 18 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 19 This bill relates to health insurers’ credentialing 20 process. Current law requires a health insurer to respond to a 21 physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or physician 22 assistant’s request for credentialing within 56 calendar days, 23 and, if the credentialing request is denied, to provide a 24 reason for the denial. The bill expands the health insurer’s 25 obligation to include all health care professionals. “Health 26 care professional” is defined in the bill as a physician 27 or other health care practitioner licensed, accredited, 28 registered, or certified to perform specified health care 29 services consistent with state law. 30 -2- LSB 5349YC (2) 91 nls/ko 2/ 2