When the Rialto Health Plan determines which of the emergency services received by its plan members should be covered by the health plan, it is guided by a standard which describes emergencies as medical conditions manifesting themselves by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that a person who possesses an average knowledge of health and medicine could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in placing the health of the individual in serious jeopardy. This standard, which was adopted by the NAIC in 1996, is referred to as the
In the paragraph below, two statements each contain a pair of terms enclosed in parentheses. Determine which term correctly completes each statement. Then select the answer choice that contains the two terms you have chosen.
A formulary lists the drugs and treatment protocols that are considered to be the preferred therapy for a given managed population. The Fairfax Health Plan uses the type of formulary which covers drugs that are on its preferred list as well as drugs that are not on its preferred list. This information indicates that Fairfax uses the (closed / open) formulary method. In using the formulary approach to pharmacy benefits management, Fairfax most likely experiences (higher / lower) costs for its members’ prescription drugs than it would if it did not use a formulary.
The Gardenia Health Plan has a national reputation for quality care. When Gardenia entered a new market, it established a preferred provider organization (PPO), a health maintenance organization (HMO), and a point-of-service product (POS) to serve the plan members in this market. All of the providers included in the HMO or the POS are included in the broader provider panel of the PPO. The POS will be a typical two-level POS that offers a cost-based incentive plans for PCPs, and the HMO is a typical staff model HMO.
The following statement(s) can correctly be made about Gardenia’s establishment of the PPO and the staff model HMO in its new market:
1. When establishing its PPO network, Gardenia most likely initiated outcomes measurement tools and developed collaborative process improvement relationships with providers.
2. To avoid high overhead expenses in the early stages of market evelopment, Gardenia’s HMO most likely contracted with specialists and ancillary providers until the plan’s membership grew to a sufficient level to justify employing these specialists.
Health plans are required to follow several regulations and guidelines regarding the access and adequacy of their provider networks. The Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) regulations, for example, require that health plans