Missouri Revised Statutes § 376.1385 - Second-level review procedures
A health carrier must send a requested second-level grievance review to a grievance advisory panel, and if the grievance involves an adverse determination with a preliminary decision to uphold it, must send it to two independent clinical peers.
376.1385. Second-level review procedures. — 1. Upon receipt of a request for second-level review, a health carrier shall submit the grievance to a grievance advisory panel consisting of: (1) Other enrollees; and (2) Representatives of the health carrier that were not involved in the circumstances giving rise to the grievance or in any subsequent investigation or determination of the grievance. 2. Where the grievance involves an adverse determination, and the grievance advisory panel makes a preliminary decision that the determination should be upheld, the health* carrier shall submit the grievance for review to two independent clinical peers in the same or similar specialty as would typically manage the case being reviewed who were not involved in the circumstances giving rise to the grievance or in any subsequent investigation or determination of the grievance. In the event that both independent reviews concur with the grievance advisory panel's preliminary decision, the panel's decision shall stand. In the event that both independent reviewers disagree with the grievance advisory panel's preliminary decision, the initial** adverse determination shall be overturned. In the event that one of the two independent reviewers disagrees with the grievance advisory panel's preliminary decision, the panel shall reconvene and make a final decision in its discretion. 3. Review by the grievance advisory panel shall follow the same time frames as a first level review, except as provided for in section 376.1389 if applicable. Any decision of the grievance advisory panel shall include notice of the enrollee's or the health carrier's or plan sponsor's rights to file an appeal with the director's office of the grievance advisory panel's decision. The notice shall contain the toll-free telephone number and address of the director's office. (L. 1997 H.B. 335, A.L. 2019 S.B. 514) *Word "heath" appears in original rolls. **Word "intitial" appears in original rolls.