(a)The Director of Insurance shall establish the Office of Consumer Health Insurance within the Department of Insurance to provide assistance and information to all health care consumers within the State. Within the appropriation allocated, the Office shall provide information and assistance to all health care consumers by:
(1)assisting consumers in understanding health insurance marketing materials and the coverage provisions of individual plans;
(2)educating enrollees about their rights within individual plans;
(3)assisting enrollees with the process of filing formal grievances and appeals;
(4)establishing and operating a toll-free "800" telephone number line to handle consumer inquiries;
(5)making related information available in languages other than English that are spoken as a p
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(a) The Director of Insurance shall establish the Office of Consumer Health Insurance within the Department of Insurance to provide assistance and information to all health care consumers within the State. Within the appropriation allocated, the Office shall provide information and assistance to all health care consumers by: (1) assisting consumers in understanding health insurance marketing materials and the coverage provisions of individual plans; (2) educating enrollees about their rights within individual plans; (3) assisting enrollees with the process of filing formal grievances and appeals; (4) establishing and operating a toll-free "800" telephone number line to handle consumer inquiries; (5) making related information available in languages other than English that are spoken as a primary language by a significant portion of the State's population, as determined by the Department; (6) analyzing, commenting on, monitoring, and making publicly available an annual report, posted in a prominent location on the Department's publicly accessible website, on the development and implementation of federal, State, and local laws, regulations, and other governmental policies and actions that pertain to the adequacy of health care plans, facilities, and services in the State and, beginning January 31, 2027, the annual report shall also include a summary of all State health insurance benefit related legislation enacted in the prior calendar year that includes, at minimum, a link to the Public Act, the statutory citation, the subject, a brief summary, and the effective date; (7) filing an annual report with the Governor, the Director, and the General Assembly, which shall contain recommendations for improvement of the regulation of health insurance plans, including recommendations on improving health care consumer assistance and patterns, abuses, and progress that it has identified from its interaction with health care consumers; and (8) performing all duties assigned to the Office by the Director. (a-5) The report required under paragraph (6) of subsection (a) shall be posted by January 31, 2026 and each January 31 thereafter on the Department's publicly accessible website. (b) The report required under paragraph (7) of subsection (a) shall be filed and posted by January 31, 2026 and each January 31 thereafter on the Department's publicly accessible website. (c) Nothing in this Section shall be interpreted to authorize access to or disclosure of individual patient or health care professional or provider records.