PAYMENT OF CAPITATION; ASSIGNMENT OF PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN OR PROVIDER

(a) This section applies to a health maintenance organization that to any extent uses capitation as a method of compensation. (b) A health maintenance organization shall begin payment of capitated amounts to an enrollee's primary care physician or primary care provider, computed from the date of enrollment, not later than the 60th day after the date the enrollee selects or is assigned a primary care physician or primary care provider. (c) If selection or assignment of a primary care physician or primary care provider does not occur at enrollment, capitated amounts that would have been paid to a selected or assigned primary care physician or primary care provider if a selection or assignment had been made shall be reserved as a capitated amount payable until the enrollee makes a selection or the health maintenance organization assigns a primary care physician or primary care provider. (d) If an enrollee does not select a primary care physician or primary care provider at the time of application or enrollment, a health maintenance organization may assign the enrollee to a primary care physician or primary care provider. (e) A primary care physician or primary care provider assigned under Subsection (d) must be located within the zip code nearest the enrollee's residence or place of employment. (f) Subject to Subsection (e), the health maintenance organization shall make the assignment in a manner that results in a fair and equal distribution of enrollees among the health maintenance organization delivery network's primary care physicians or primary care providers. (g) A health maintenance organization shall inform an enrollee of: (1) the name, address, and telephone number of a primary care physician or primary care provider to whom the enrollee has been assigned under Subsection (d); and (2) the enrollee's right to select a different primary care physician or primary care provider. (h) At any time, an enrollee is entitled to reject the primary care physician or primary care provider assigned and select another physician or provider from the list of primary care physicians or primary care providers for the health maintenance organization delivery network. A rejection by an enrollee of an assigned physician or provider is not a change in provider for purposes of the limitation described by Section 843.203. (i) A health maintenance organization shall notify a physician or provider of an enrollee's selection of that person as the primary care physician or primary care provider, or of the assignment of the enrollee to that physician or provider by the health maintenance organization, not later than the 30th working day after the date of the selection or assignment.