NY Ins L §4904(c)

(c) A utilization review agent shall establish a standard appeal process which includes procedures for appeals to be filed in writing or by telephone.  A utilization review agent must establish a period of no less than forty-five days after receipt of notification by the insured of the initial utilization review determination and receipt of all necessary information to file the appeal from said determination.  The utilization review agent must provide written acknowledgment of the filing of the appeal to the appealing party within fifteen days of such filing and shall make a determination with regard to the appeal within sixty days of the receipt of necessary information to conduct the appeal.  The utilization review agent shall notify the insured, the insured’s designee and, where appropriate, the insured’s health care provider, in writing of the appeal determination within two business days of the rendering of such determination.

The notice of the appeal determination shall include:

(1) the reasons for the determination;  provided, however, that where the adverse determination is upheld on appeal, the notice shall include the clinical rationale for such determination;  and

(2) a notice of the insured’s right to an external appeal together with a description, jointly promulgated by the superintendent and the commissioner of health as required pursuant to subsection (e) of section four thousand nine hundred fourteen of this article, of the external appeal process established pursuant to title two of this article and the time frames for such external appeals.

(d) Both expedited and standard appeals shall only be conducted by clinical peer reviewers, provided that any such appeal shall be reviewed by a clinical peer reviewer other than the clinical peer reviewer who rendered the adverse determination.