(b) A PCP shall meet the following minimum standards, unless a specialty health care provider is approved by the plan to serve as a designated PCP as provided for in § 9.683 (relating to standing referrals or specialists as pimary care providers):
- (1) Provide office hours accessible to enrollees of a minimum of 20 hours-per-week.
- (2) Be available directly or through on-call arrangements with other qualified plan participating PCPs, 24 hours-per-day, 7 days-per-week for urgent and emergency care and to provide triage and appropriate treatment or referrals for treatment. A participating provider may arrange for on-call services with a nonparticipating provider if the plan approves the arrangement, agrees to provide the level-of-benefit for the service provided by the nonparticipating provider, and agrees to hold the enrollee harmless for any errors committed by the nonparticipating provider that would result in noncoverage of covered benefits or would mislead the enrollee into believing a noncovered service would be covered.
- (3) Maintain medical records in accordance with plan standards and accepted medical practice.
- (4) Maintain hospital privileges or an alternate arrangement for admitting an enrollee, approved by the plan, that provides for timeliness of information and communication to facilitate the admission, treatment, discharge and follow-up care necessary to ensure continuity of services and care to the enrollee.
- (5) Possess an unrestricted license to practice in this Commonwealth.