1. Designation of Primary Care Provider
2. Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act
3. Mastectomy Benefits
4. Premium Assistance Under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
5. Your Rights and Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills

1. Designation of Primary Care Provider

You have the right to designate any primary care provider who participates in our network and who is available to accept you or your family members. For information on how to select a primary care provider, and for a list of the participating primary care providers, contact Duke Human Resources at 919- 684-5600. For children, you may designate a pediatrician as the primary care provider.

You do not need prior authorization from Duke Health Plans or from any other person (including a primary care provider) in order to obtain access to obstetrical or gynecological care from a health care professional in our network who specializes in obstetrics or gynecology. The health care professional, however, may be required to comply with certain procedures, including obtaining prior authorization for certain services, following a pre-approved treatment plan, or procedures for making referrals. For a list of participating health care professionals who specialize in obstetrics or gynecology, contact Duke Human Resources at 919-684-5600.

2. Newborns’ and Mothers’ Health Protection Act

Under federal law, group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group health insurance coverage generally may not restrict benefits for any hospital length of stay in connection with childbirth for the mother or newborn child to less than 48 hours following a vaginal delivery, or less than 96 hours following a delivery by cesarean section. However, the plan or issuer may pay for a shorter stay if the attending provider (e.g., your doctor, nurse midwife or physician assistant), after consultation with the mother, discharges the mother or newborn earlier.

Also, under federal law, group health plans and health insurance issuers may not set the level of benefits or out-of-pocket costs so that any later portion of the 48- hour (or 96-hour) stay is treated in a manner less favorable to the mother or newborn than any earlier portion of the stay.

In addition, a plan or issuer may not, under federal law, require that a doctor or other health care provider obtain certification for prescribing a length of stay of up to 48 hours (or 96 hours). However, to use certain providers or facilities, or to reduce your out-of-pocket costs, you may be required to obtain certification.

3. Mastectomy Benefits

In accordance with the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, the Duke Health Plans provide for the following services related to mastectomy surgery:

• Reconstruction of the breast on which the mastectomy has been performed
• Surgery and reconstruction of the nondiseased breast to produce a symmetrical appearance without regard to the lapse of time between the mastectomy and the reconstructive surgery
• Prostheses and physical complications of all stages of the mastectomy, including lymphedemas.

The benefits described above are subject to the same co-payment or coinsurance and limitations as applied to other medical and surgical benefits provided by Duke Health Plans.

4. Premium Assistance Under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

If you or your children are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP and you're eligible for health coverage from your employer, your state may have a premium assistance program that can help pay for coverage, using funds from their Medicaid or CHIP programs. If you or your children aren't eligible for Medicaid or CHIP, you won't be eligible for these premium assistance programs but you may be able to buy individual insurance coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. For more information, visit www.healthcare.gov.

If you or your dependents are already enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP and you live in a State listed below, contact your State Medicaid or CHIP office to find out if premium assistance is available.

If you or your dependents are NOT currently enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP, and you think you or any of your dependents might be eligible for either of these programs, contact your State Medicaid or CHIP office or dial 1-877-KIDS NOW or www.insurekidsnow.gov to find out how to apply. If you qualify, ask your state if it has a program that might help you pay the premiums for an employer-sponsored plan.

If you or your dependents are eligible for premium assistance under Medicaid or CHIP, as well as eligible under your employer plan, your employer must allow you to enroll in your employer plan if you aren't already enrolled. This is called a "special enrollment" opportunity, and you must request coverage within 60 days of being determined eligible for premium assistance. If you have questions about enrolling in your employer plan, contact the Department of Labor at www.askebsa.dol.gov or call 1-866-444-EBSA (3272).

If you live in one of the states listed here, you may be eligible for assistance paying your employer health plan premiums. The following list of states is current as of July 31, 2022. Contact your State for more information on eligibility

5. Your Rights and Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills

When you have emergency care or are treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, you are protected from surprise billing or balance billing.

What is "balance billing," also known as "surprise billing?"

When you see a doctor or other health care provider, you may owe certain out-of-pocket costs, such as a copayment, coinsurance, and/or a deductible. You may have other costs or have to pay the entire bill if you see a provider or visit a health care facility that is not in your health plan's network.

"Out-of-network" describes providers and facilities that have not signed a contract with your health plan. Out-of-network providers may be permitted to bill you for the difference between what your plan agreed to pay and the full amount charged for a service. This is called "balance billing." This amount is likely more than in-network costs for the same service and might not count toward your annual out-of-pocket limit.

"Surprise billing" is an unexpected balance bill. This can happen when you cannot control who is involved in your care — such as when you have an emergency or when you schedule a visit at an in-network facility but are unexpectedly treated by an out-of-network provider.

You are protected from balance billing for:

Emergency services

If you have an emergency medical condition and receive emergency services from an out-of-network provider or facility, the most the provider or facility may bill you is your plan's in-network cost-sharing amount (such as copayments and coinsurance). You cannot be balance billed for these emergency services. This includes services you may receive after you are in stable condition, unless you give written consent and give up your protections not to be balanced billed for these post-stabilization services.

Certain services at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center

When you receive services from an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, certain providers there may be out-of-network. In these cases, the most those providers may bill you is your plan's in-network cost-sharing amount. This applies to emergency medicine, anesthesia, pathology, radiology, laboratory, neonatology, assistant surgeon, hospitalist, or intensivist services. These providers cannot balance bill you and may not ask you to give up your protections not to be balance billed.

If you have other services at these in-network facilities, out-of-network providers cannot balance bill you, unless you give written consent and give up your protections.

You are never required to give up your protections from balance billing. You also are not required to receive care out-of-network. You can choose a provider or facility in your plan's network.

When balance billing is not allowed, you also have the following protections:

• You are only responsible for paying your share of the cost (like the copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles that you would pay if the provider or facility was in-network). Your health plan will pay out-of-network providers and facilities directly.
• Your health plan generally must:
• Cover emergency services without requiring you to seek approval for services in advance (prior authorization).
• Cover emergency services by out-of-network providers.
• Base what you owe the provider or facility (cost-sharing) on what it would pay an in-network provider or facility and show that amount in your explanation of benefits.
• Count any amount you pay for emergency services or out-of-network services toward your deductible and out-of-pocket limit.

If you believe you have been wrongly billed, you may contact Aetna Member Services at (800) 385-3636 for claims processed under the Duke Select or Duke Basic plans; or BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina Member Services at (877) 275-9787 for claims processed under the Blue Care or Duke Options plans. You may also reach out the Duke HR Information Center at (919) 684-5600 for additional assistance.

Visit cms.gov for more information about your rights under federal law.