Signed by Governor Kate Brown

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes confidential communications requests to health insurance carriers, effective immediately.

Highlights:

• Authorizes an enrollee in a health insurance plan issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2016, to submit a “confidential communications request” to his or her health insurance carrier (Sec. 2).

• Defines “confidential communications request” as a request from an enrollee to a health insurance carrier that “communications” be sent directly to him or her, and that the carrier refrain from sending “communications” concerning him or her to the policy holder (Sec. 2). 

• Defines “communications” as certain correspondence including, but not limited to, the following correspondence (Sec. 2):
• An explanation of benefits notice;
• Information about an appointment; and
• A notice of an adverse benefit determination. 

• Requires a health insurance carrier to implement a confidential communications request by 7 days after receipt of a request by electronic submission, or 30 days after receipt of a request in hard copy (Sec. 2). 

• Requires a confidential communications request to remain in effect until the enrollee revokes the request in writing or submits a new request (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text