New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 13 - INSURANCE
Chapter 10 - HEALTH INSURANCE
Part 22 - MANAGED HEALTH CARE PLAN COMPLIANCE
Section 13.10.22.7 - DEFINITIONS

A. "Claim" means:

B. "Direct services" means:

C. "Earned premium" means paid premiums for the year plus uncollected premiums minus premiums paid in advance.

D. "Health care facility" means an institution providing health care services, including a hospital or other licensed inpatient center; an ambulatory surgical or treatment center; a skilled nursing center; a residential treatment center; a home health agency; a diagnostic, laboratory or imaging center; and a rehabilitation or other therapeutic health setting.

E. "Health care insurer" means a person that has a valid certificate of authority in good standing under the Insurance Code to act as an insurer, health maintenance organization, nonprofit health care plan, prepaid dental plan, a multiple employer welfare arrangement or any other person providing a plan of health insurance or a managed health care plan subject to state insurance law and regulation.

F. "Health care professional" means a physician or other health care professional, including a pharmacist, who is licensed, certified or otherwise authorized by the state to provide health care services consistent with state law.

G. "Health care services" means services, supplies, and procedures for the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, cure or relief of a health condition, illness, injury, or disease, and includes, to the extent offered by the health benefits plan, physical and mental health services, including community-based mental health services, and services for developmental disability or developmental delay.

H. "Incurred claims" means paid-on-incurred claims for the year, plus a reserve for claims incurred but not yet paid, plus the change in any other reserve held, plus expenses incurred during the year.

I. "Incurred health care expenses" means health care coverage that is provided by a health maintenance organization, as defined in Article 46 of the New Mexico Insurance Code, on a service rather than reimbursement basis.

J. "Loss Ratio" means incurred claims or incurred health care expenses to earned premiums.

K. "Managed health care plan (MHCP or plan)" means a policy, contract, certificate or agreement offered or issued by a health care insurer, provider service network, or plan administrator to provide, deliver, arrange for, pay for, or reimburse the costs of health care services, except as otherwise provided in this subsection. A MHCP either requires a covered person to use, or creates incentives, including financial incentives, for a covered person to use health care providers managed, owned, under contract with or employed by the health care insurer, provider service network, or plan administrator. Effective immediately, a MHCP does not include a traditional fee-for-service indemnity health benefit plan or a health benefit plan that covers only short-term travel, accident-only, limited benefit, an indemnity, PPO dental or non-profit dental benefit plan, student health plan, or specified disease policies. For purposes of this section, "plan administrator" shall include and apply to an HMO or other health care insurer not required to be licensed under Section 59A-12A-2 NMSA 1978, but which is acting as a "plan administrator" as defined under the act." A MHCP includes a health benefits plan as defined under NMSA 1978 Section 59A-22A-3(D) as "the health insurance policy or subscriber agreement between the covered person or the policyholder and the health care insurer which defines the covered services and benefit levels available."

L. "Premium" means all income received from individuals and private and public payers or sources for the procurement of health coverage, including capitation payments, recoveries from third parties or other insurers, interest and administrative fees received and claim payments made by:

M. "Small group health insurance market" means plans offered to small employers pursuant to Article 23C of the New Mexico Insurance Code.

N. "Usual, customary and reasonable rate" means health care services, medical supplies and payment rates for health care services provided by a health care practitioner at or near the median rate paid for similar health care services within a surrounding geographic area where the charges were incurred. Surrounding geographic area may be determined by the type of service and access to that service in the geographic area.