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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>55717</law_id><section_number>38.2-3445.04</section_number><catch_line>Transparency</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="38.2">Insurance</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="34">Provisions Relating to Accident and Sickness Insurance</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="6">Federal Market Reforms</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>, in consultation with health carriers, health care providers, and consumers, shall develop standard template language for a notice of consumer rights notifying consumers of the following: <a id="paragraph-204209" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3445.04/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> The prohibition against balance billing is applicable to health benefit plans issued by health carriers in Virginia and self-funded group health plans issued by entities that elect to participate pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Balance billing for certain services; prohibited" href="/38.2-3445.01/">38.2-3445.01</a>. <a id="paragraph-204210" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3445.04/#A1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Consumers cannot be balance billed for the health care services described in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Balance billing for certain services; prohibited" href="/38.2-3445.01/">38.2-3445.01</a> and will receive the protections provided for in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Balance billing for certain services; prohibited" href="/38.2-3445.01/">38.2-3445.01</a>. <a id="paragraph-204211" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3445.04/#A2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A3" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> Consumers may be balance billed for health care services under circumstances other than those described in subsection A of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Balance billing for certain services; prohibited" href="/38.2-3445.01/">38.2-3445.01</a> or if they are enrolled in a health plan to which the provisions of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Balance billing for certain services; prohibited" href="/38.2-3445.01/">38.2-3445.01</a> do not apply and steps to take if the consumer is balance billed. <a id="paragraph-204212" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3445.04/#A3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A4" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> Consumers may contact the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> if they believe they have been balance billed in violation of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Balance billing for certain services; prohibited" href="/38.2-3445.01/">38.2-3445.01</a>. <a id="paragraph-204213" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3445.04/#A4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A5" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">5.</span> The relevant contact information for the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>. <a id="paragraph-204214" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3445.04/#A5"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> shall determine, by regulation, when and in what format health carriers, health care providers, and health care facilities shall provide consumers with the notice required by this section. <a id="paragraph-204215" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3445.04/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> A health care provider shall post the following information on its website, if one is available, or, if one is not available, provide to a consumer upon written or oral request: <a id="paragraph-204216" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3445.04/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> The listing of the carrier health plan provider networks with which the provider <span class="dictionary">contracts</span> or with which the facility is an in-network provider; and <a id="paragraph-204217" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3445.04/#C1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> The notice of consumer rights required by subsection A.
				Posting or otherwise providing the information required in this subsection shall not relieve a health care provider of its obligation to comply with the provisions of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Balance billing for certain services; prohibited" href="/38.2-3445.01/">38.2-3445.01</a>. <a id="paragraph-204218" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3445.04/#C2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> Not less than 30 days prior to executing a <span class="dictionary">contract</span> with a carrier, a health care facility shall provide the carrier with a list of the nonemployed providers or provider groups contracted to provide surgical or ancillary services at the facility. The facility shall notify the carrier within 30 days of a removal from or addition to such list and shall provide an updated list of nonemployed providers and provider groups within 14 calendar days of a request for an updated list by a carrier. <a id="paragraph-204219" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3445.04/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> An in-network provider shall submit accurate information to a carrier regarding the provider&#x2019;s network status in a timely manner, consistent with the terms of the <span class="dictionary">contract</span> between the provider and the carrier. <a id="paragraph-204220" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3445.04/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="F"><p><span class="prefix-number">F.</span> A carrier shall update its website and provider directory no later than 30 days after the addition or termination of a provider. <a id="paragraph-204221" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3445.04/#F"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="G"><p><span class="prefix-number">G.</span> A carrier shall provide an enrollee with (i) a clear description of the health plan&#x2019;s out-of-network health benefits, (ii) the notice of consumer rights required by subsection A, and (iii) notification that if the enrollee receives services from an out-of-network-provider, under circumstances other than those described in subsection A of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Balance billing for certain services; prohibited" href="/38.2-3445.01/">38.2-3445.01</a>, the enrollee shall have the financial responsibility for the applicable services provided outside the health plan&#x2019;s network in excess of applicable cost-sharing amounts and that the enrollee may be responsible for any costs in excess of those allowed by the health plan. <a id="paragraph-204222" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3445.04/#G"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2020, cc. 1080, 1081.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
