§ 44-713. Insured in temporary custody; health insurance policy; insurer; duties; powers; incarceration; notice; refusal to credential health care provider; notice; applicability of section.

(1) For purposes of this section: (a) Notwithstanding section 44-3,131, health insurance policy means (i) any individual or group sickness and accident insurance policy or subscriber contract delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state and any hospital, medical, or surgical expense-incurred policy, except for a policy that provides coverage for a specified disease or other limited-benefit coverage, and (ii) any self-funded employee benefit plan to the extent not preempted by federal law; (b) Jail means a city or county correctional or jail facility operated by a political subdivision of the state; (c) Pending disposition of charges means up until the time of sentencing and shall not include any time after sentencing as may occur due to appeals; and (d) Temporary custody means in the custody of a jail pending disposition of charges. (2) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, an insurer offering a health insurance policy may not (i) cancel the coverage of an insured while the insured is in temporary custody on the basis of such custody or (ii) deny coverage for any medical services or supplies covered by the policy and received while the insured is in temporary custody if such services or supplies were provided to the insured by an employee or contractor of a jail who meets the credentialing criteria of the health insurance policy. (3) Except as set forth under section 47-704, an insurer offering a health insurance policy shall pay claims for covered medical services or supplies provided by an out-of-network health care provider to an insured who is in temporary custody in an amount that is not less than one hundred percent of the medicare rate for such services or supplies. The political subdivision acting as an out-of-network provider shall notify the insurer of the cost incurred by the insured while in temporary custody. (4) An insurer offering a health insurance policy may: (a) Deny coverage for the treatment of injuries resulting from a violation of law by the insured; (b) Exclude from any requirements for reporting quality outcomes or performance any covered medical services provided to an insured in temporary custody; (c) Impose the same contractual provisions, including requirements for billing and medical coding, under the policy for medical services provided to insureds who are in temporary custody as imposed for medical services provided to insureds who are not in such custody; (d) Deny coverage of diagnostic tests or health evaluations required as a matter of course for all individuals who are in temporary custody; (e) Limit coverage of hospital and ambulatory surgical center services provided to an insured in temporary custody to medical services provided by in-network hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers; (f) Deny coverage for costs of medical services made necessary by the negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct of the jail or its employees as set forth in section 47-705; and (g) If an insured is incarcerated after the disposition of charges or is committed to the custody or supervision of the Department of Correctional Services, cancel coverage or deny coverage for any medical services or supplies covered by the plan and provided during such incarceration or while in the custody or supervision of the department. (5) If an insured is incarcerated after the disposition of charges or is committed to the custody or supervision of the Department of Correctional Services, a jail which has sought reimbursement for medical services under this section shall notify the insurer that the insured has been subsequently incarcerated or placed in such custody. (6)(a) An insurer may not refuse to credential a health care provider who is an employee or a contractor of a political subdivision on the basis that the employee or contractor provides medical services in a jail. (b) If an insurer refuses to credential a health care provider who is an employee or a contractor of a political subdivision who provides medical services in a jail, the insurer must give written notice to the provider explaining the reasons for the refusal. (7) This section shall not: (a) Apply to coverage for an insured in custody following the disposition of charges; (b) Impair any right of an employer to remove an employee from coverage under a health insurance plan; (c) Release an insurer from the requirement to coordinate benefits for persons who are insured by more than one insurer; or (d) Limit an insurer's right to rescind coverage in accordance with law. (8) A political subdivision shall not pay health insurance policy premiums on behalf of a person who is in temporary custody. (9) This section applies to health insurance policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2019, and to claims for reimbursement based on such policies for costs incurred on or after January 1, 2019. History: Laws 2018, LB480, § 1.