COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS As a Premera member, you have the right to offer your ideas, ask questions, voice complaints and request a formal appeal to reconsider decisions we have made. Our goal is to listen to your concerns and improve our service to you. If you need an interpreter to help with oral translation, please call us. Customer Service will be able to guide you through the service. WHEN YOU HAVE IDEAS We would like to hear from you. If you have an idea, suggestion, or opinion, please let us know. You can contact us at the addresses and telephone numbers found on the back cover. WHEN YOU HAVE QUESTIONS Please call us when you have questions about a benefit or coverage decision, our services, or the quality or availability of a healthcare service. We can quickly and informally correct errors, clarify benefits, or take steps to improve our service. We suggest that you call your provider of care when you have questions about the healthcare they provide.
Grievance and Appeals Unit See Section 9 for contact information. You may also contact the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner’s Consumer Resource Program, RIREACH at 1-855-747-3224 about questions or concerns you may have. Complaints A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction with any aspect of our operation or the quality of care you received from a healthcare provider. A complaint is not an appeal. For information about submitting an appeal, please see the Reconsiderations and Appeals section below. We encourage you to discuss any concerns or issues you may have about any aspect of your medical treatment with the healthcare provider that furnished the care. In most cases, issues can be more easily resolved if they are raised when they occur. However, if you remain dissatisfied or prefer not to take up the issue with your provider, you can call our Customer Service Department for further assistance. You may also call our Customer Service Department if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our operation. If the concern or issue is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may file a verbal or written complaint with our Grievance and Appeals Unit. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint or administrative appeal within ten (10) business days. The Grievance and Appeals Unit will conduct a thorough review of your complaint and respond within thirty (30) calendar days of the date it was received. The determination letter will provide you with the rationale for our response as well as information on any possible next steps available to you. When filing a complaint, please provide the following information: • your name, address, member ID number; • the date of the incident or service; • summary of the issue; • any previous contact with BCBSRI concerning the issue; • a brief description of the relief or solution you are seeking; and • additional information such as referral forms, claims, or any other documentation that you would like us to review. Please send all information to the address listed on the Contact Information section.
Delays and Complaints Delivery delays and service complaints will be monitored on a continual basis. Documented inability to perform under the conditions of the contract, via the Complaint to Vendor process (PUR 7017 form) contemplated for this Contract, may result in default proceedings and cancellation.
Appeals Process A. The Contractor’s appeal process shall, at a minimum: