Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care, and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires specified health care service plans and health insurers to publish and maintain a provider directory or directories with information on contracting providers that deliver health care services to enrollees or insureds, and requires a health care service plan or health insurer to regularly update its printed and online provider directory or directories, as specified. Existing law requires provider directories to include specified information and disclosures.

This bill would require a full service health care service plan, specialized mental health or dental plan, health insurer, or specialized mental health or dental insurer to include in its provider directory or directories a statement advising an enrollee or insured to contact the plan or insurer for assistance finding an in-network provider and for an explanation of their rights regarding out-of-network coverage, and would specify the format of the statement. The bill would require the plan or insurer to acknowledge the request within one business day if contacted for that assistance, and to provide a list of in-network providers confirmed to be accepting new patients within 2 business days for a request deemed urgent by the enrollee or insured and 5 business days for a request deemed nonurgent by an enrollee or insured. Because a violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.