Texas Insurance Commissioner Jose Montemayor has designated Senior Associate Commissioner Audrey Selden as the Texas Insurance Department's new physician ombudsman for prompt-payment issues.

In her new position as ombudsman, Selden is in charge of making sure that health insurers comply with state laws requiring them to pay "clean" claims within 45 days after receiving them. A clean claim is one that is adequately documented.

Montemayor issued rules last year defining when a claim is clean in order to expedite claims by eliminating confusion. However, the department says physicians and other health care providers continue to complain about slow payment.

Selden, who is now responsible for resolving all physician complaints about slow payments, heads up a newly assembled team of insurance department members who will:

• Make it easier for doctors and other providers to file complaints with the department. An electronic online complaint form specifically designed for health care providers is available on the department's Web site.
  
• Analyze complaint data for patterns or particularly serious violations that require corrective action by the department.
  
• Encourage better compliance by conducting a prompt-payment compliance "summit" this summer with health plan managers and leaders of medical organizations.
  
• Find ways to improve the department's processing of provider complaints to expedite resolution.
  
• Suggest changes in department rules if necessary to improve compliance with the state's prompt-payment requirements.