§ 9.518. Accessibility and availability.

 The Department has, as a matter of practice, reviewed each applicant managed care plan’s initial service area, and any expansions thereof, to ensure that the plan has adequate numbers of providers, distributed by specialty and geography, to provide covered health care services to enrollees in an accessible and available manner. The Department has utilized the informal standard for accessibility/availability that hospitalization services and primary care and frequently utilized specialty services be available within 20 miles/20 minutes in urban areas, and 30 miles/30 minutes in rural areas. The Department intends to continue to review initial and service area expansions, and to formalize the process and standards through adoption of regulations.