Title HSC — California Health & Safety Code

(a) Any person who willfully violates any provision of this chapter or of any rule or order thereunder shall upon conviction be fined not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) or imprisoned pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code, or in a county jail f…

(a) (1) The director may issue an order directing a plan, solicitor firm, or any representative thereof, a solicitor, or any other person to cease and desist from engaging in any act or practice in violation of the provisions of this chapter, any rule adopted pursuant to this cha…

(a) If, after examination or investigation, the director has reasonable grounds to believe that irreparable loss and injury to the plan’s enrollee or enrollees occurred or may occur as a result of any act or practice unless the director acts immediately, the director may, by writ…

(a) (1) Whenever it appears to the director that any person has engaged, or is about to engage, in any act or practice constituting a violation of any provision of this chapter, any rule adopted pursuant to this chapter, or any order issued pursuant to this chapter, the director …

(a) This section applies to every action brought in the name of the people of the State of California by the Director of the Department of Managed Health Care before, on, or after the effective date of this section, when enforcing provisions of those laws administered by the Dire…

(a) The superior court of the county in which is located the principal office of the plan in this state shall, upon the filing by the director of a verified application showing any of the conditions enumerated in Section 1386 to exist, issue its order vesting title to all of the …

(a) A person who violates Section 1349, or any person who directly or indirectly participates in the direction of the management or policies of the person in violation of Section 1349, including, but not limited to, any officer, director, partner, or other person occupying a prin…

For violations of Article 3.1 (commencing with Section 1357), Article 3.15 (commencing with Section 1357.50), Article 3.16 (commencing with Section 1357.500), and Article 3.17 (commencing with Section 1357.600), the director may, after appropriate notice and opportunity for heari…

The civil, criminal, and administrative remedies available to the director pursuant to this article are not exclusive, and may be sought and employed in any combination deemed advisable by the director to enforce the provisions of this chapter.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the director may file a verified complaint for involuntary dissolution of a health care service plan on any one or more of the grounds specified in subdivision (b) of Section 1386. The complaint shall be filed in the superior court of t…

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in any involuntary dissolution of a health care service plan as provided for in Section 1394.1, or other insolvency proceeding involving a health care service plan, the following expenses and claims have priority in the following order:…

Except as provided for in Section 1394.1, and 1394.2, the involuntary dissolution of a health care service plan shall be in accordance with either of the following: (a) Chapter 18 (commencing with Section 1800) of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code, if the plan is inc…

When any person, including any nonresident of this state, engages in conduct prohibited or made actionable by this chapter or any rule, regulation, or order adopted hereunder, whether or not the person has filed a power of attorney under subdivision (j) of Section 1351, and perso…

(a) As used in this section the following definitions shall apply: (1) “Health care service plan” means any plan as defined in Section 1345, but this section does not apply to specialized health care service contracts. (2) “Carrier” means a health care service plan, an insurer is…

(a) As used in this section: (1) “Carrier” means a specialized health care service plan, and any of the following entities which offer coverage comparable to the coverages offered by a specialized health care service plan: an insurer issuing group disability coverage; a nonprofit…

(a) Notwithstanding Article 6 (commencing with Section 650) of Chapter 1 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, any health care service plan or specialized health care service plan may, except as limited by this subdivision, solicit or advertise with regard to the co…

(a) Except as provided in subdivisions (b) and (c), no contract that is issued, amended, renewed, or delivered on or after January 1, 1999, between a health care service plan, including a specialized health care service plan, and a provider shall contain provisions that prohibit,…

(a) In order to prevent the improper selling, leasing, or transferring of a health care provider’s contract, it is the intent of the Legislature that every arrangement that results in a payor paying a health care provider a reduced rate for health care services based on the healt…

(a) A staff-model dental health care service plan that arranges for or establishes credit extended by a third party shall establish and comply with policies and procedures that ensure that its dentists, employees, and agents, and employees or agents of its dentists, comply with S…

It is unlawful for any person willfully to make any untrue statement of material fact in any application, notice, amendment, report, or other submission filed with the director under this chapter or the regulations adopted thereunder, or willfully to omit to state in any applicat…

A nonprofit hospital corporation which substantially indemnified subscribers and enrollees and was operating in 1965 under Chapter 11A (commencing with Section 11490) of Part 2 of Division 2 of the Insurance Code and which is regulated under the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Pla…

(a) Whenever reference is made in this chapter to a hearing before or by the director, the hearing shall be held in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), and the dire…

(a) The director shall make and file annually with the Department of Managed Health Care as a public record, an aggregate summary of grievances against plans filed with the director by enrollees or subscribers. This summary shall include at least all of the following information:…

The director may contract with necessary medical consultants to assist with the health care program. These contracts shall be on a noncompetitive bid basis and shall be exempt from Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 10290) of Part 2 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code.

All references to the Knox-Mills Health Plan Act (Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 12530) of Chapter 6 of Part 2 of Division 3 of the Government Code), which was repealed by Chapter 941 of the Statutes of 1975, shall be deemed to be references to the Knox-Keene Health Care Se…

(a) Surrender of a license as a health plan becomes effective 30 days after receipt of an application to surrender the license or within a shorter period of time as the director may determine, unless a revocation or suspension proceeding is pending when the application is filed o…

(a) All orders and other actions taken by the Commissioner of Corporations pursuant to the authority contained in subdivision (c) of Section 1350 on or before September 30, 1977, and all administrative or judicial decisions or orders relating to the same and all conditions impose…

(a) A material change made by a health care service plan, as defined in subdivision (f) of Section 1345, to the terms and conditions of a contract between the health care service plan and a solicitor shall not become effective until the health care service plan has delivered to t…

It is the intent of the Legislature that the provisions of this chapter shall be applicable to any private or public entity or political subdivision which, in return for a prepaid or periodic charge paid by or on behalf of a subscriber or enrollee, provides, administers or otherw…

Health care service plans shall, upon rejecting a claim from a health care provider or a patient, and upon their demand, disclose the specific rationale used in determining why the claim was rejected. Nothing in this section is intended to expand or restrict the ability of a heal…

Compensation of a person retained by a health care service plan to review claims for health care services shall not be based on either of the following: (a) A percentage of the amount by which a claim is reduced for payment. (b) The number of claims or the cost of services for wh…

This article does not apply to services or benefits provided pursuant to Medi-Cal, including services or benefits provided under Chapters 7 (commencing with Section 14000) and 8 (commencing with Section 14200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

The provisions of this article shall apply to all group health care service contracts issued in this state pursuant to this chapter.

In this article, unless the context otherwise requires: (a) “Carrier” shall mean the health care service plan or other entity responsible for the payment of benefits or provision of services under a group contract. (b) “Dependent” shall have the meaning set forth in a contract. (…

(a) Every contract containing hospital, medical, or surgical expense benefits or service benefits shall contain a reasonable extension of such benefits upon discontinuance of the contract with respect to employees or dependents who become totally disabled while enrolled under the…

(a) Any carrier providing replacement coverage with respect to hospital, medical or surgical expense or service benefits within a period of 60 days from the date of discontinuance of a prior contract or policy providing such hospital, medical or surgical expense or service benefi…

This article shall apply to all contracts issued, delivered, amended, or renewed in this state after January 1, 1977. A policy subject to the provisions of this article which is issued, delivered, amended as to benefits, or renewed in this state on or after the effective date of …

(a) (1) A health care service plan that intends to merge or consolidate with, or enter into an agreement resulting in its purchase, acquisition, or control by, any entity, including another health care service plan or a health insurer licensed under the Insurance Code, shall give…

(a) Notwithstanding subdivision (d) of Section 1352, a health care service plan that files a material modification that is a transaction or agreement described in subdivision (a) of Section 1399.65 shall be subject to the same fees required by subdivision (a) of Section 1356. (b)…

(a) In addition to the information required by subdivision (a) of Section 1399.73, a nonprofit health care service plan submitting an application to the director to restructure or convert its activities pursuant to this article shall submit to the director a copy of all of its or…

(a) Any nonprofit health care service plan that intends to restructure its activities as defined in subdivision (d) shall, prior to restructuring, secure approval from the director. (b) Every nonprofit health care service plan that applies to the department to restructure its act…

(a) Any health care service plan that intends to convert from nonprofit to for-profit status, as defined in subdivision (b), shall, prior to the conversion, secure approval from the director. (b) For the purposes of this section, a “conversion” or “convert” by a nonprofit health …

(a) An application for a conversion or restructuring shall contain the information the director may require, by rule or order. (b) The director shall charge a health care service plan an application filing fee. The fee for filing an application shall be the actual cost of process…

(a) By July 1, 1996, the director shall adopt regulations, on an emergency basis, that specify the application procedures and requirements for the restructuring or conversion of nonprofit health care service plans. This subdivision shall not be construed to limit or otherwise res…

(a) This article shall apply to the restructuring or conversion of nonprofit mutual benefit health care service plans to the extent these plans have held or currently hold assets subject to a charitable trust obligation, as determined by the director. (b) Nonprofit mutual benefit…

This article shall not apply to a nonprofit health care service plan restructure or conversion that has been submitted as a material modification to the department for review and approval prior to May 16, 1995.

For purposes of this article, the following definitions shall apply: (a) “Consumer operated and oriented plan” means a nonprofit member organization or nonprofit member corporation that has been established consistent with the requirements of Section 1322 of PPACA and Subpart F (…

As used in this article: (a) “Creditable coverage” means: (1) Any individual or group policy, contract, or program that is written or administered by a disability insurer, health care service plan, fraternal benefits society, self-insured employer plan, or any other entity, in th…

(a) Every health care service plan offering plan contracts to individuals shall, in addition to complying with the provisions of this chapter and the rules adopted thereunder, comply with the provisions of this article. (b) For the purposes of determining eligibility for small em…

Nothing in this article shall be construed to preclude the application of this chapter to either of the following: (a) an association, trust, or other organization acting as a health care service plan as defined under Section 1345, or (b) an association, trust, multiple employer …