Minnesota Statutes § 62Q.097 - REQUIREMENTS FOR TIMELY PROVIDER CREDENTIALING

§Subdivision 1.Definitions.(a) The definitions in this subdivision apply to this section. (b) "Clean application for provider credentialing" or "clean application" means an application for provider credentialing submitted by a health care provider to a health plan company that is complete, is in the format required by the health plan company, and includes all information and substantiation required by the health plan company and does not require evaluation of any identified potential quality or safety concern. (c) "Provider credentialing" means the process undertaken by a health plan company to evaluate and approve a health care provider's education, training, residency, licenses, certifications, and history of significant quality or safety concerns in order to approve the health care provider to provide health care services to patients at a clinic or facility. §Subd. 2.Time limit for credentialing determination.A health plan company that receives an application for provider credentialing must: (1) if the application is determined to be a clean application for provider credentialing and if the health care provider submitting the application or the clinic or facility at which the health care provider provides services requests the information, affirm that the health care provider's application is a clean application and notify the health care provider or clinic or facility of the date by which the health plan company will make a determination on the health care provider's application; (2) if the application is determined not to be a clean application, inform the health care provider of the application's deficiencies or missing information or substantiation within three business days after the health plan company determines the application is not a clean application; and (3) make a determination on the health care provider's clean application within 45 days after receiving the clean application unless the health plan company identifies a substantive quality or safety concern in the course of provider credentialing that requires further investigation. Upon notice to the health care provider, clinic, or facility, the health plan company is allowed 30 additional days to investigate any quality or safety concerns. §Subd. 3.Prohibited application questions.An application for provider credentialing must not: (1) require the provider to disclose past health conditions; (2) require the provider to disclose current health conditions, if the provider is being treated so that the condition does not affect the provider's ability to practice medicine; or (3) require the disclosure of any health conditions that would not affect the provider's ability to practice medicine in a competent, safe, and ethical manner.