65,20
Section
20. 628.46 (2m) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
628.46 (2m) (b) Paragraph (a) does not apply to any of the following:
1. Worker's compensation insurance.
2. Any line of property and casualty insurance except disability insurance. In this subdivision, "disability insurance" does not include uninsured motorist coverage, underinsured motorist coverage, or medical payment coverage.
65,21
Section
21. 632.05 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
632.05 (2) Whenever any policy insures real property which that is owned and occupied by the insured primarily as a dwelling and the property is wholly destroyed, without criminal fault on the part of the insured or the insured's assigns, the amount of the loss shall be taken conclusively to be the policy limits of the policy insuring the property.
65,22
Section
22. 632.68 (2) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:
632.68 (2) (e) Except as provided in sub. (3), a license issued under this subsection shall be renewed annually on the anniversary date July 1 upon payment of the fee specified in s. 601.31 (1) (mp) and upon providing the licensee's social security number, unless the licensee does not have a social security number, or federal employer identification number, as applicable, if not previously provided on the application for the license or at a previous renewal of the license. If the licensee is a natural person who does not have a social security number, the license shall be renewed annually on the anniversary date July 1 upon payment of the fee specified in s. 601.31 (1) (mp) and upon providing to the commissioner a statement made or subscribed under oath or affirmation, on a form prescribed by the department of workforce development, that the licensee does not have a social security number.
65,23
Section
23. 632.68 (4) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
632.68 (4) (c) Except as provided in sub. (5), a license issued under this subsection shall be renewed annually on the anniversary date July 1 upon payment of the fee specified in s. 601.31 (1) (ms) and upon providing the licensee's social security number, unless the licensee does not have a social security number, or federal employer identification number, as applicable, if not previously provided on the application for the license or at a previous renewal of the license. If the licensee is a natural person who does not have a social security number, the license shall be renewed annually, except as provided in sub. (5), on the anniversary date July 1 upon payment of the fee specified in s. 601.31 (1) (ms) and upon providing to the commissioner a statement made or subscribed under oath or affirmation, on a form prescribed by the department of workforce development, that the licensee does not have a social security number.
632.835 (2) (b) Whenever If an adverse determination or an experimental treatment determination is made, the insurer involved in the determination shall provide notice to the insured of the insured's right to obtain the independent review required under this section, how to request the review, and the time within which the review must be requested. The notice shall include a current listing of independent review organizations certified under sub. (4). An independent review under this section may be conducted only by an independent review organization certified under sub. (4) and selected by the insured.
65,23d
Section 23d. 632.835 (2) (bg) of the statutes is created to read:
632.835 (2) (bg) Notwithstanding par. (b), an insurer is not required to provide the notice under par. (b) to an insured until the insurer sends notice of the disposition of the internal grievance if all of the following apply:
1. The health benefit plan issued by the insurer contains a description of the independent review procedure under this section, including an explanation of the insured's rights under par. (d), how to request the review, the time within which the review must be requested, and how to obtain a current listing of independent review organizations certified under sub. (4).
2. The insurer includes on its explanation of benefits form a statement that the insured may have a right to an independent review after the internal grievance process and that an insured may be entitled to expedited independent review with respect to an urgent matter. The statement shall also include a reference to the section of the policy or certificate that contains the description of the independent review procedure as required under subd. 1. The statement shall provide a toll-free telephone number and website, if appropriate, where consumers may obtain additional information regarding internal grievance and independent review processes.
3. For any adverse determination or experimental treatment determination for which an explanation of benefits is not provided to the insured, the insurer provides a notice that the insured may have a right to an independent review after the internal grievance process and that an insured may be entitled to expedited, independent review with respect to an urgent matter. The notice shall also include a reference to the section of the policy or certificate that contains the description of the independent review procedure as required under subd. 1. The notice shall provide a toll-free telephone number and website, if appropriate, where consumers may obtain additional information regarding internal grievance and independent review processes.
65,24
Section
24. 655.27 (5) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
655.27 (5) (a) 1. Any person may file a claim for damages arising out of the rendering of medical care or services or participation in peer review activities under s. 146.37 within this state against a health care provider or an employee of a health care provider. A person filing a claim may recover from the fund only if the health care provider or the employee of the health care provider has coverage under the fund and, the fund is named as a party in the action, and the action against the fund is commenced within the same time limitation within which the action against the health care provider or employee of the health care provider must be commenced.
65,25
Section
25. 655.27 (5) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
655.27 (5) (a) 2. Any person may file an action for damages arising out of the rendering of medical care or services or participation in peer review activities under s. 146.37 outside this state against a health care provider or an employee of a health care provider. A person filing an action may recover from the fund only if the health care provider or the employee of the health care provider has coverage under the fund and, the fund is named as a party in the action, and the action against the fund is commenced within the same time limitation within which the action against the health care provider or employee of the health care provider must be commenced. If the rules of procedure of the jurisdiction in which the action is brought do not permit naming the fund as a party, the person filing the action may recover from the fund only if the health care provider or the employee of the health care provider has coverage under the fund and the fund is notified of the action within 60 days of service of process on the health care provider or the employee of the health care provider. The board of governors may extend this time limit if it finds that enforcement of the time limit would be prejudicial to the purposes of the fund and would benefit neither insureds nor claimants.
65,25m
Section 25m. 655.455 of the statutes is amended to read:
655.455 Notice to health care providers
and fund. The director of state courts shall serve notice of a request for mediation upon all health care providers named in the request, at the respective addresses provided in the request, and upon the fund, by registered mail within 7 days after the director of state courts receives the request if delivered in person or within 10 days after the date of mailing of the request to the director of state courts if sent by registered mail.
65,26
Section
26.
Initial applicability.
(1) Renewal of viatical settlement provider and broker licenses. The treatment of section 632.68 (2) (e) and (4) (c) of the statutes first applies to licenses renewed in 2002.
(2) Issuance of temporary intermediary licenses. The treatment of sections 628.09 (1), (4), and (5) and 628.097 (title), (1) (title), (a), and (b), and (2) of the statutes first applies to temporary licenses issued on the effective date of this subsection.
(3) Patients compensation fund statute of limitations. The treatment of section 655.27 (5) (a) 1. and 2. of the statutes first applies to claims arising out of injuries occurring on the effective date of this subsection.
65,26m
Section 26m.0
Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication, except as follows:
(1x) Notice of independent review. The treatment of section 632.835 (2) (b) and (bg) of the statutes takes effect on the date stated in the notice published by the commissioner of insurance in the Wisconsin Administrative Register under section 632.835 (8) of the statutes.
