Texas Insurance Code - INS § 1305.353. Notice of Certain Utilization Review Determinations; Preauthorization Requirements

(a) The entity performing utilization review shall notify the employee or the employee's representative, if any, and the requesting provider of a determination made in a utilization review.

(b) Notification of an adverse determination must include:

(c) On receipt of a preauthorization request from a provider for proposed services that require preauthorization, the utilization review agent shall issue and transmit a determination indicating whether the proposed health care services are preauthorized. The utilization review agent shall respond to requests for preauthorization within the periods prescribed by this section.

(d) For services not described under Subsection (e) or (f), the determination under Subsection (c) must be issued and transmitted not later than the third working day after the date the request is received. For the purposes of this subsection, “working day” has the meaning assigned by Section 4201.002.

(e) If the proposed services are for concurrent hospitalization care, the utilization review agent shall, within 24 hours of receipt of the request, transmit a determination indicating whether the proposed services are preauthorized.

(f) If the proposed health care services involve poststabilization treatment or a life-threatening condition, the utilization review agent shall transmit to the requesting provider a determination indicating whether the proposed services are preauthorized within the time appropriate to the circumstances relating to the delivery of the services and the condition of the patient, not to exceed one hour from receipt of the request. If the utilization review agent issues an adverse determination in response to a request for poststabilization treatment or a request for treatment involving a life-threatening condition, the utilization review agent shall provide to the employee or the employee's representative, if any, and the employee's treating provider the notification required under Subsection (a).

(g) For life-threatening conditions, the notification of adverse determination must include notification of the availability of independent review in the form prescribed by the commissioner.

(h) Treatments and services for an emergency do not require preauthorization.