Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 20-2535 – Initial appeal

A. Any member who receives an adverse determination and who does not qualify for an expedited medical review pursuant to section 20-2534 may request, either orally or in writing, an initial appeal of that denial by notifying the person described in section 20-2533, subsection H, paragraph 3. After the denial, the member has up to two years to request an initial appeal.
B. The utilization review agent may request any pertinent medical records pursuant to title 12, chapter 13, article 7.1 that are necessary for the initial appeal.
C. If the member's appeal involves an issue of medical necessity or appropriateness, including health care setting, level of care or effectiveness of a covered benefit, or is experimental or investigational under the coverage document and not whether the service is covered, the utilization review agent shall select a provider to review the appeal and render a determination based on the utilization review plan. For the purposes of this subsection:
1. 1. "Advanced practice registered nurse" means any of the following as defined in section 32-1601:
  1. (a) A certified nurse midwife.
  2. (b) A certified registered nurse anesthetist.
  3. (c) A clinical nurse specialist.
  4. (d) A registered nurse practitioner.
2. 2. "Provider" means either of the following:
  1. (a) A physician or other health care professional who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 19.1 or 29 or an advanced practice registered nurse who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 15, who is qualified in a similar scope of practice as a physician or other health care professional licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 19.1 or 29 or an advanced practice registered nurse who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 15 and who is employed or under contract with the utilization review agent.
  2. (b) An out-of-state physician or other health care professional who is licensed in another state and who is not licensed in this state, who is employed or under contract with the utilization review agent and who either is qualified in a similar scope of practice as a physician or other health care professional licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 19.1 or 29 or an advanced practice registered nurse who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 15 or who typically manages the medical condition under appeal.
D. Within the time frames prescribed in section 20-2533, subsections C and D, the utilization review agent shall send to the member and the member's treating provider a notice of the utilization review agent's determination and the basis, criteria used, clinical reasons and rationale for that determination.
E. At any time during the initial appeal process, the utilization review agent may submit a request to the director to initiate an external independent review process pursuant to section 20-2537. At the same time that the utilization review agent submits the request to the director, the utilization review agent shall also render a written determination and shall send the written determination, including the basis, criteria used, clinical reasons and rationale for that determination and any references to supporting documentation, to the member, the member's treating provider and the director.
F. If the utilization review agent does not submit a request to the director pursuant to subsection E of this section and at the conclusion of the initial appeal process the utilization review agent denies the covered service or the claim for the covered service, the utilization review agent shall provide the member and the treating provider with a written statement of the agent's decision and the basis, criteria used, clinical reasons and rationale for that determination, including any references to any supporting documentation. The determination shall include a notice of the option to proceed to the voluntary internal appeal process pursuant to section 20-2536 for a group health plan or grandfathered individual plan for which the health care insurer elected to have a voluntary internal appeal level of review or to an external independent review pursuant to section 20-2537 if the health care insurer has only one internal level of review.
G. If the utilization review agent concludes that the covered service should be provided or the claim for a covered service should be paid, the health care insurer is bound by the utilization review agent's determination.