Member Rights and Responsibilities

As an MHS member, you have the right to…

Receive information about MHS, as well as MHS services, practitioners, providers and your rights and responsibilities. We will send you a member handbook when you become eligible and a member newsletter four times a year. In addition, detailed information on MHS is located on our website at mhsindiana.com. Or you may also call MHS Member Services at 1-877-647-4848.
Be treated with respect and with due consideration for your dignity and privacy
Receive information on available treatment options and alternatives, presented in a manner appropriate to your condition and ability to understand
A candid discussion of appropriate or medically necessary treatment options, regardless of cost or benefit coverage
Participate with practitioners in decisions regarding your healthcare, including the right to refuse treatment
Be free from any form of restraint or seclusion used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation, as specified in federal regulations on the use of restraints and seclusion
Request and receive a copy of your medical records, and request they be amended or corrected as allowed in federal healthcare privacy regulations
Voice complaints, grievances or appeals about the organization or the care it provides
Make recommendations about our Member Rights and Responsibilities policy
An ongoing source of primary care appropriate to your needs and a person formally designated as primarily responsible for coordinating your healthcare services
Personalized help from MHS staff so you can ensure you are getting the care needed, especially in cases where you or your child have “special healthcare needs” such as dealing with a long-term disease or severe medical condition. We make sure you get easy access to all the care needed and will help coordinate the care with multiple doctors and get case managers involved to make things easier for you. If you have been determined to have a special healthcare need by an assessment under 42 CFR 438.208(c)(2) that requires a course of treatment or regular care monitoring, we will work with you to provide direct access to a specialist as appropriate for your condition and needs.
Have timely access to covered services
Have services available 24 hours a day, seven days a week when such availability is medically necessary
Get a second opinion from a qualified healthcare professional at no charge. If the second opinion is from an out-of-network provider, the cost will not be more than if the provider was in-network.
Direct access to women’s health specialists for routine and preventive care, including family planning, annual women’s tests and OB service, without approval by MHS or your MHS doctor. This includes birth control, HPV tests, chlamydia tests and annual Pap smears.
Receive written notice of a decision to deny a service authorization request or to authorize a service in an amount, duration or scope less than requested. You will receive this information as quickly as needed so your medical needs are met and treatment is not delayed. We will not jeopardize your medical condition waiting for approval of services. Authorizations are reviewed based on your medical needs and made in compliance with state timeframes.

As an MHS member, you have the responsibility to …

Provide information (to the extent possible) needed by MHS, its practitioners and other healthcare providers so they can properly care for you
Follow plans and instructions for care which you have agreed to with your MHS doctors
Understand your health problems and participate in developing mutually-agreed-upon treatment goals to the degree possible