(1) The commissioner shall establish an Office of Consumer Health Assistance before July 1, 1999.
(2) The office shall:
(a) be a resource for health insurance consumers concerning health insurance coverage or the need for such coverage;
(b) help health insurance consumers understand:
(i) contractual rights and responsibilities;
(ii) statutory protections; and
(iii) available remedies, including adverse benefit determination processes;
(c) educate health insurance consumers:
(i) by producing or collecting and disseminating educational materials to consumersand health insurers; and
(ii) through outreach and other educational activities;
(d) for health insurance consumers that have difficulty in accessing their health insurance policies because of language, disability, age, or ethnicity, provide information and services, directly or through referral;
(e) analyze and monitor federal and state consumer health insurance statutes, rules, and regulations; and
(f) summarize information gathered under this section and make the summaries available to the public, government agencies, and the Legislature.
(3) The office may:
(a) obtain data from health insurance consumers as necessary to further the office's duties under this section;
(b) investigate complaints and attempt to resolve complaints at the lowest possible level; and
(c) assist, but not testify or represent, a consumer in an adverse benefit determination, arbitration, judicial, or related proceeding, unless the proceeding is in connection with an enforcement action under Section 31A-2-308.
(4) The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to implement the requirements of this section.