<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".05" citation="COMAR 10.67.05.05" title_num="10" subtitle_num="67" chapter_num="05" heading="Access Standards: PCPs and MCO's Provider Network.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>Primary Care Provider (PCP).</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>An MCO shall assign each enrollee to a primary care provider who is:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Chosen by the enrollee from the MCO's panel of qualified providers; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Chosen by the MCO from its panel of qualified providers if the enrollee has failed to choose a PCP.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>An enrollee may request a change of PCP at any time if the PCP is within the recipient's current MCO's panel of providers.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>With respect to enrollees younger than 21 years old, an MCO shall assign the enrollee to a PCP who is certified by the EPSDT program, unless the enrollee or the enrollee's parent, guardian, or caretaker, as appropriate, specifically requests assignment to a PCP who is not EPSDT-certified.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>If the enrollee’s parent, guardian, or caretaker, as appropriate, chooses a non-EPSDT certified PCP in accordance to §A(3) of this regulation, within 30 days of enrollment, the MCO shall:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Notify the parent, guardian, or caretaker, by letter, that a non-EPSDT certified PCP has been chosen; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Include in the notification an explanation of the:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>EPSDT preventive screening services to which an enrollee is entitled according to the EPSDT periodicity schedule;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Importance of accessing the EPSDT preventive screening services; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>Process for requesting a change to an EPSDT-certified PCP to obtain preventive screening services.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>An MCO may include, as appropriate, any of the following practitioners to serve as the primary care provider for an enrollee:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>General practitioner;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Family practitioner;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Internist;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Pediatrician;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>OB/GYN;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Physician assistant;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(g)">
        <text>Certified nurse midwife;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(h)">
        <text>Nurse practitioner certified in any of the following areas of specialization:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Adult;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Pediatric;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>Geriatric;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iv)">
          <text>OB/GYN;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(v)">
          <text>School nurse; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(vi)">
          <text>Family; and</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(i)">
        <text>A physician practicing in a specialty area other than those enumerated in §A(5)(b)—(e) of this regulation.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>The enrollee's designated primary care provider (PCP) is the enrollee's primary coordinator of care.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(7)">
      <text>For female enrollees, if the enrollee's PCP is not a women's health specialist, the MCO shall provide direct access, without the need for a referral, to a women's health specialist within the MCO's network for covered services necessary to provide women's routine and preventive health care services.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>Adequacy of Provider Network.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>An MCO shall develop and maintain a complete network of adult and pediatric primary care, specialty care, ancillary service, vision, pharmacy, home health, and any other providers adequate to deliver the full scope of benefits as required by this chapter and COMAR 10.67.06.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>An MCO shall clearly define and specify referral requirements to specialty and other providers.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>An MCO shall require the PCP to maintain records of referral arrangements, and the feedback and outcomes of those referrals, within each enrollee's medical records.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>An MCO shall maintain a list of its proposed and existing subcontracts with health care providers who are necessary to fulfill the MCO's service delivery obligations.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>An MCO shall provide a list of its subcontractor providers to the Department.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>An MCO shall ensure services are delivered in a culturally competent manner to all enrollees, including enrollees:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>With limited English proficiency;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>With diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Of all genders, sexual orientations, and gender identities.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(7)">
      <text>For enrollees with physical or mental disabilities, an MCO shall ensure its network providers provide:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Physical access;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Reasonable accommodation; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Accessible equipment.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(8)">
      <text>Capacity.</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>MCOs shall ensure adequate capacity and services, in compliance with 42 CFR §438.206(b)(1)(i), as amended.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>The Department shall assess the MCO's provider network and determine its capacity to serve waiver-eligible recipients in each local access area in its service area.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Unless the MCO can establish to the Department's satisfaction the adequacy of a higher ratio, the Department shall determine the MCO's capacity with respect to any local access area by assuming that in-plan individual practitioners, based on full-time equivalency, will be assigned no more than the number of enrollees that is consistent with a 200:1 ratio of enrollee to practitioner in the local access area.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>The Department may not approve an enrollee-to-PCP ratio that is higher than 2,000:1.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(9)">
      <text>To ensure compliance with the timely access requirements in Regulation .07 of this chapter, an MCO shall:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Establish mechanisms to ensure that network providers comply with access requirements;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Monitor regularly to determine compliance; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Take corrective action if there is a failure to comply.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>