The bill, S.B. No. 177, aims to enhance telephone access for health benefit plan verifications, preauthorization requests, and utilization review requests by requiring health maintenance organizations and insurers to provide 24/7 availability at a toll-free number. Key amendments include the removal of previous time restrictions that limited availability to specific hours on weekdays and weekends, thereby ensuring that personnel are accessible at all times, including legal holidays. Additionally, the bill mandates that these organizations must have a telephone system capable of accepting or recording calls when personnel are unavailable and requires them to respond to calls within two hours.

Furthermore, the bill emphasizes the need for health maintenance organizations and insurers to respond promptly to incoming calls, ensuring that patients and providers can receive timely assistance. The changes reflect a commitment to improving access to healthcare services and streamlining the verification and preauthorization processes. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Insurance Code 843.347, Insurance Code 843.348, Insurance Code 1301.133, Insurance Code 1301.135, Insurance Code 4201.004 (Insurance Code 1301, Insurance Code 843, Insurance Code 4201)