NCCS Joins Colleagues in Submitting Comments to National Association of Insurance Commissioners on the Health Benefit Plan Network Access and Adequacy Model Act

Last week, NCCS joined colleagues in the Cancer Leadership Council (CLC) in submitting comments to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) on the Health Benefit Plan Network Access and Adequacy Model Act. The groups collectively commend the NAIC Regulatory Framework (B) Task Force for including provisions within the act that would offer patients some protections in obtaining out-of-network care. Cancer patients often need timely specialty care that is not available in network and the provisions of the model act make great strides in improving access to such care. However, we do recommend a number of modifications to the draft that would improve patients’ ability to obtain necessary care accompanied by appropriate financial protections. In addition, we recommend that network adequacy protections be applied to all health plan designs that are within the jurisdiction of a state’s insurance commission.