HA4070D – Regulatory Environment in Health Care Assignment 06: Appealing Decisions Directions Complete the questions below based on the problem identified. Your written response should be no less than two to three pages in length. Problem: Mr. H. was a diabetic and had severe ulcers on his feet. He was a member of an HMO, and his primary care physician had prescribed a treatment regimen that was proving ineffective. In response, the primary care physician offered Mr. H. an amputation below the knee that was his only option. Mr. H. went out of plan to a local wound care center that specialized in diabetic wound treatment where he was advised that vein by-pass surgery would likely take care of his problem. The HMO denied such surgery because Mr. H. referred himself to the specialist without permission. The HMO advised Mr. H.’s family that its utilization review department was reviewing the case, but that it would take at least a month to review. Subsequently, the HMO agreed to approve such surgery, but only if done by Mr. H.’s current medical group, which did not have any physician who had ever performed vein by-pass surgery. Mr. H.’s family asked for him to be transferred to a primary care physician at the medical group that staffs the wound care center. The HMO responded that although they sometimes approve such requests, they would not do so in Mr. H.’s case and that they had already granted enough of his requests. They gave as their reason a provision in the plan documents that prevent referrals outside the plan’s network when the network’s physicians have the capability to perform the required procedure. This problem is adapted from a real case history developed by the Center for Health Care Rights in California. • What procedural remedies does the patient likely have under private insurance and under Medicare or Medicaid? • Are they adequate? Be sure to include the following based on the criteria below: Student examines legal issues related to healthcare rationing and medical necessity. Student identifies remedies the patient would have under private insurance and if they are adequate. Student identifies remedies the patient would have under Medicare and if they are adequate. Student identifies remedies the patient would have under Medicaid and if they are adequate. The Law of Health Care  Finance & Regulation-Vitalsource #magicMAN61

Procedural remedies for patients in situations like the one described in the problem can vary depending on the type of insurance coverage they have. In this case, Mr. H. is a member of an HMO, so we will discuss procedural remedies under private insurance and under Medicare or Medicaid separately.

Under private insurance, patients typically have the right to appeal denials of coverage or treatment decisions. This can be done through the insurance company’s internal appeals process, which allows the patient to request a review of the decision by an independent reviewer. If the internal appeal is unsuccessful, the patient may have the option to pursue external appeals, which are generally conducted by a third-party organization. These external appeals provide an additional level of review and can be binding.

In Mr. H.’s case, he could have initially appealed the HMO’s denial of the vein by-pass surgery through the internal appeals process. However, the HMO’s response of approving the surgery but requiring it to be done by his current medical group raises concerns about whether the internal appeals process adequately addresses the patient’s needs. It seems that the HMO is limiting the patient’s options and potentially compromising the quality of care he can receive. This raises questions about the adequacy of the procedural remedies available under private insurance in this specific case.

Moving on to Medicare, the procedural remedies available to patients are outlined in the Medicare Beneficiary Denial Appeals process. Medicare provides five levels of appeals for beneficiaries who disagree with coverage denials or other Medicare-related decisions. The first level is the Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) level, where the beneficiary can request a reconsideration of the decision. If the reconsideration is denied, the beneficiary can proceed to the second level, which is a redetermination by a Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC). If the redetermination is not in the beneficiary’s favor, it can be escalated to the third level, which is a hearing conducted by an Administrative Law Judge.

It is important to note that Mr. H. is a member of an HMO, not Medicare. However, if he had Medicare as his primary insurance, he could still utilize the Medicare appeals process to dispute the HMO’s denial of the vein by-pass surgery. Medicare may cover the surgery if it is deemed medically necessary, even if the HMO does not approve it. Therefore, the procedural remedies under Medicare could potentially provide Mr. H. with a more favorable outcome.

Lastly, under Medicaid, procedural remedies for patients are typically governed by state regulations. Medicaid beneficiaries generally have the right to request a fair hearing if their coverage is denied or if they are dissatisfied with a decision. This fair hearing allows the beneficiary to present their case to an impartial decision-maker who can overturn the denial if it is determined to be unjust.

In Mr. H.’s case, it is unclear whether he is also covered by Medicaid in addition to his HMO coverage. If he is, he could potentially request a fair hearing to challenge the denial of the vein by-pass surgery by the HMO. The outcome of the fair hearing would depend on the specific Medicaid regulations in his state and the evidence presented during the hearing. It is difficult to assess the adequacy of the procedural remedies under Medicaid without more information about Mr. H.’s specific circumstances.

In conclusion, the procedural remedies available to patients in situations like the one described in the problem can vary depending on the type of insurance coverage they have. Under private insurance, patients typically have the option to appeal denials of coverage or treatment decisions through internal and external appeals processes. Medicare provides a comprehensive appeals process for beneficiaries who disagree with coverage denials or other Medicare-related decisions. Medicaid beneficiaries generally have the right to request a fair hearing to challenge coverage denials. The adequacy of these procedural remedies depends on the specific circumstances of each case and the healthcare regulations in place.