HB 17-1165

HB 17-1165, a Colorado bill that has been signed into law, aims to improve how healthcare prescriber boards handle complaints. It requires these boards to inform complainants about the status of their cases more frequently and ensures patients can get copies of their medical records from the healthcare provider they are complaining about. Additionally, it mandates health insurance companies to update their lists of approved providers monthly based on information from these boards, removing those whose licenses have been suspended or revoked. This law affects anyone who files a complaint against a healthcare provider in Colorado and all health insurance companies operating in the state. Since the bill has been signed, its provisions are now enforceable by law.

Official Summary

Section 2 of the bill defines 'health care prescriber board' to mean the following boards in the department of regulatory agencies: The Colorado podiatry board; the Colorado dental board; the Colorado medical board; the state board of nursing; the state board of optometry; and the state board of veterinary medicine. Section 2 also: Requires each health care prescriber board to: Within 15 days after receipt of a complaint, provide the complainant with a written notice providing contact information for the board and a summary of the regulatory and statutory procedures, timelines, and complainant and respondent rights that apply to the processing and resolution of complaints, including, if the complainant is the patient of the licensee who is the subject of the complaint, a notice of the patient's right to receive from the licensee a copy of his or her patient records; Provide the complainant, within 30 days after the action, with written notice of the action taken by the board if an investigation was initiated by a complaint and the board took public formal action regarding the alleged misconduct; Notify the complainant that the complaint remains pending, subject to applicable restrictions in the board's governing law, if a complaint is still pending after 6 months; and Update its website at least monthly to list the status of each licensee subject to the applicable board's governing law; Requires the licensee to provide the board with the patient records within 30 days after the board requests the records; and Requires the department to include in its annual SMART act presentation a performance report prepared by the division of professions and occupations regarding changes to the boards' processes and procedures. Section 1 requires health insurance companies to update their provider directories at least monthly, based on information on the department's health care prescriber boards' websites, to remove a provider whose license has been suspended or revoked.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

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