TRAINING FOR CERTAIN PERSONNEL REQUIRED.

(a) In this section, "preauthorization" means the provision of a reliable representation to a physician or health care provider of whether a health benefit plan issuer will pay the physician or provider for proposed medical or health care services if the physician or provider provides those services to the patient for whom the services are proposed. The term includes precertification, certification, recertification, or any other activity that involves providing a reliable representation by the issuer to a physician or health care provider.

(b) The commissioner by rule shall require a health benefit plan issuer to provide adequate training to personnel responsible for preauthorization of coverage or utilization review under the plan. The purpose of the training is to prevent denial of coverage in violation of Section 1352.003 and to avoid confusion of medical benefits with mental health benefits. The commissioner shall prescribe by rule the basic requirements for the training described by this subsection.