Section 284-51-230 - Procedure to be followed by secondary plan to calculate benefits and pay a claim(1) In determining the amount to be paid by the secondary plan on a claim, should the plan wish to coordinate benefits, the secondary plan must make payment in an amount so that, when combined with the amount paid by the primary plan, the total benefits paid or provided by all plans for the claim equal one hundred percent of the total allowable expense for that claim. However, in no event shall the secondary carrier be required to pay an amount in excess of its maximum benefit plus accrued savings. In no event should the enrollee be responsible for a deductible amount greater than the highest of the two deductibles.(2) If a plan by its terms contains gatekeeper requirements as defined in subsection (3) of this section, and a person fails to comply with such requirements, these provisions will have the following effect in the absence of an alternative procedure agreed upon between both plans and the covered person: (a) If the plan is secondary, all secondary gatekeeper requirements will be waived if the gatekeeper requirements of the primary plan have been met.(b) If the primary plan becomes secondary during a course of treatment, the new primary plan must make reasonable provision for continuity of care if one or more treating providers are not in the new primary plan's network.(3) For the purpose of this section, "gatekeeper requirements" means any requirement that an otherwise eligible person must fulfill prior to receiving the benefits of a plan. These requirements include but are not limited to use of network providers, prior authorization, primary care physician referrals, or other similar case management requirements.(4) When a plan is secondary, it may reduce its benefits so that the total benefits paid or provided by all plans during a claim determination period do not exceed one hundred percent of the total allowable expenses. The secondary plan must calculate its savings by subtracting the amount that it paid as a secondary plan from the amount it would have paid had it been primary. These savings are recorded as a benefit reserve for the covered person and must be used by the secondary plan to pay any allowable expenses not otherwise paid, that are incurred by the covered person during the claim determination period. As each claim is submitted, the issuer of the secondary plan must: (a) Determine its obligation under its plan;(b) Determine whether a benefit reserve has been recorded for the covered person; and(c) Determine whether there are any unpaid allowable expenses during that claims determination period.(d) Use any amount that has accrued in the covered person's recorded benefit reserve to make payment so that one hundred percent of the total allowable expenses incurred are paid during the claim determination period.Wash. Admin. Code § 284-51-230
Statutory Authority: RCW 48.20.60 [48.20.060], 48.21.200,48.44.050, and 48.46.200. 07-13-008 (Matter No. R 2005-07), § 284-51-230, filed 6/8/07, effective 7/9/07.