2023 California Code › Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC › DIVISION 9 - PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES › PART 3 - AID AND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE › CHAPTER 7 - Basic Health Care › ARTICLE 1 - General Provisions › Section 14016.5.

14016.5. (a) At the time of determining or redetermining the eligibility of a Medi-Cal program or Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program applicant or beneficiary who resides in an area served by a managed health care plan or pilot program in which beneficiaries may enroll, each applicant or beneficiary shall be informed of the managed care and fee-for-service options available regarding methods of receiving Medi-Cal benefits.
(b) The information described in subdivision (a) shall include all of the following elements:
(1) Each beneficiary or eligible applicant shall be informed that he or she may choose to continue an established patient-provider relationship in the fee-for-service sector.
(2) Each beneficiary or eligible applicant shall be provided with the name, address, telephone number, and specialty, if any, of each primary care provider, and each clinic participating in each prepaid managed health care plan, pilot project, or fee-for-service case management provider option. This information shall be provided under geographic area designations, in alphabetical order by the name of the primary care provider and clinic. The name, address, and telephone number of each specialist participating in each prepaid managed health care plan, pilot project, or fee-for-service case management provider option shall be made available by contacting either the health care options contractor or the prepaid managed health care plan, pilot project, or fee-for-service case management provider.
(3) Each beneficiary or eligible applicant shall be informed that he or she may choose to continue an established patient-provider relationship in a managed care option, if his or her treating provider is a primary care provider or clinic contracting with any of the prepaid managed health care plans, pilot projects, or fee-for-service case management provider options available, has available capacity, and agrees to continue to treat that beneficiary or applicant.
(4) In areas specified by the director, each beneficiary or eligible applicant shall be informed that if he or she fails to make a choice, or does not certify that he or she has an established relationship with a primary care provider or clinic, he or she shall be assigned to, and enrolled in, a prepaid managed health care plan, pilot project, or fee-for-service case management provider.
(c) No later than 30 days following the date a Medi-Cal or AFDC beneficiary or applicant is determined eligible, the beneficiary or applicant shall indicate his or her choice in writing, as a condition of coverage for Medi-Cal benefits, of either of the following health care options:
(1) To obtain benefits by receiving a Medi-Cal card, which may be used to obtain services from individual providers, that the beneficiary would locate, that choose to provide services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
The department may require each beneficiary or eligible applicant, as a condition for electing this option, to sign a statement certifying that he or she has an established patient-provider relationship, or in the case of a dependent, the parent or guardian shall make that certification. This certification shall not require the acknowledgment or guarantee of acceptance, by any indicated Medi-Cal provider or health facility, of any beneficiary making a certification under this section.
(2) (A) To obtain benefits by enrolling in a prepaid managed health care plan, pilot program, or fee-for-service case management provider that has agreed to make Medi-Cal services readily available to enrolled Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
(B) At the time the beneficiary or eligible applicant selects a prepaid managed health care plan, pilot project, or fee-for-service case management provider, the department shall, when applicable, encourage the beneficiary or eligible applicant to also indicate, in writing, his or her choice of primary care provider or clinic contracting with the selected prepaid managed health care plan, pilot project, or fee-for-service case management provider.
(d) (1) In areas specified by the director, a Medi-Cal or AFDC beneficiary or eligible applicant who does not make a choice, or who does not certify that he or she has an established relationship with a primary care provider or clinic, shall be assigned to and enrolled in an appropriate Medi-Cal managed care plan, pilot project, or fee-for-service case management provider providing service within the area in which the beneficiary resides.
(2) If it is not possible to enroll the beneficiary under a Medi-Cal managed care plan, pilot project, or a fee-for-service case management provider because of a lack of capacity or availability of participating contractors, the beneficiary shall be provided with a Medi-Cal card and informed about fee-for-service primary care providers who do all of the following:
(A) The providers agree to accept Medi-Cal patients.
(B) The providers provide information about the provider’s willingness to accept Medi-Cal patients as described in Section 14016.6.
(C) The providers provide services within the area in which the beneficiary resides.
(e) If a beneficiary or eligible applicant does not choose a primary care provider or clinic, or does not select any primary care provider who is available, the managed health care plan, pilot project, or fee-for-service case management provider that was selected by or assigned to the beneficiary shall ensure that the beneficiary selects a primary care provider or clinic within 30 days after enrollment or is assigned to a primary care provider within 40 days after enrollment.
(f) (1) The managed care plan shall have a valid Medi-Cal contract, adequate capacity, and appropriate staffing to provide health care services to the beneficiary.
(2) The department shall establish standards for all of the following:
(A) The maximum distances a beneficiary is required to travel to obtain primary care services from the managed care plan, fee-for-service case management provider, or pilot project in which the beneficiary is enrolled.
(B) The conditions under which a primary care service site shall be accessible by public transportation.
(C) The conditions under which a managed care plan, fee-for-service case management provider, or pilot project shall provide nonmedical transportation to a primary care service site.
(3) In developing the standards required by paragraph (2), the department shall take into account, on a geographic basis, the means of transportation used and distances typically traveled by Medi-Cal beneficiaries to obtain fee-for-service primary care services and the experience of managed care plans in delivering services to Medi-Cal enrollees. The department shall also consider the provider’s ability to render culturally and linguistically appropriate services.
(g) To the extent possible, the arrangements for carrying out subdivision (d) shall provide for the equitable distribution of Medi-Cal beneficiaries among participating managed care plans, fee-for-service case management providers, and pilot projects.
(h) If, under the provisions of subdivision (d), a Medi-Cal beneficiary or applicant does not make a choice or does not certify that he or she has an established relationship with a primary care provider or clinic, the person may, at the option of the department, be provided with a Medi-Cal card or be assigned to and enrolled in a managed care plan providing service within the area in which the beneficiary resides.
(i) Any Medi-Cal or AFDC beneficiary who is dissatisfied with the provider or managed care plan, pilot project, or fee-for-service case management provider shall be allowed to select or be assigned to another provider or managed care plan, pilot project, or fee-for-service case management provider.
(j) The department or its contractor shall notify a managed care plan, pilot project, or fee-for-service case management provider when it has been selected by or assigned to a beneficiary. The managed care plan, pilot project, or fee-for-service case management provider that has been selected by, or assigned to, a beneficiary, shall notify the primary care provider or clinic that it has been selected or assigned. The managed care plan, pilot project, or fee-for-service case management provider shall also notify the beneficiary of the managed care plan, pilot project, or fee-for-service case management provider or clinic selected or assigned.
(k) (1) The department shall ensure that Medi-Cal beneficiaries eligible under Title XVI of the federal Social Security Act are provided with information about options available regarding methods of receiving Medi-Cal benefits as described in subdivision (c).
(2) (A) The director may waive the requirements of subdivisions (c) and (d) until a means is established to directly provide the information described in subdivision (a) to beneficiaries who are eligible for the federal Supplemental Security Income for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled Program (Subchapter 16 (commencing with Section 1381) of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code).
(B) The director may elect not to apply the requirements of subdivisions (c) and (d) to beneficiaries whose eligibility under the Supplemental Security Income program is established before January 1, 1994.
(l) In areas where there is no prepaid managed health care plan or pilot program that has contracted with the department to provide services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries, and where no other enrollment requirements have been established by the department, no explicit choice need be made, and the beneficiary or eligible applicant shall receive a Medi-Cal card.
(m) The following definitions contained in this subdivision shall control the construction of this section, unless the context requires otherwise:
(1) “Applicant,” “beneficiary,” and “eligible applicant,” in the case of a family group, mean any person with legal authority to make a choice on behalf of dependent family members.
(2) “Fee-for-service case management provider” means a provider enrolled and certified to participate in the Medi-Cal fee-for-service case management program the department may elect to develop in selected areas of the state with the assistance of and in cooperation with California physician providers and other interested provider groups.
(3) “Managed health care plan” and “managed care plan” mean a person or entity operating under a Medi-Cal contract with the department under this chapter or Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 14200) to provide, or arrange for, health care services for Medi-Cal beneficiaries as an alternative to the Medi-Cal fee-for-service program that has a contractual responsibility to manage health care provided to Medi-Cal beneficiaries covered by the contract.
(n) (1) Whenever a county welfare department notifies a public assistance recipient or Medi-Cal beneficiary that the recipient or beneficiary is losing Medi-Cal eligibility, the county shall include, in the notice to the recipient or beneficiary, notification that the loss of eligibility shall also result in the recipient’s or beneficiary’s disenrollment from Medi-Cal managed health care or dental plans, if enrolled.
(2) Whenever the department or the county welfare department processes a change in a public assistance recipient’s or Medi-Cal beneficiary’s residence or aid code that will result in the recipient’s or beneficiary’s disenrollment from the managed health care or dental plan in which he or she is currently enrolled, a written notice shall be given to the recipient or beneficiary.
(o) This section shall be implemented in a manner consistent with any federal waiver required to be obtained by the department in order to implement this section.
(p) (1)  If the functionality is available in the California Healthcare Eligibility, Enrollment, and Retention System (CalHEERS), individuals or their authorized representatives may select Medi-Cal managed care plans via CalHEERS.
(A) Any person that assists a Medi-Cal beneficiary who is eligible for the program based on modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) to select a Medi-Cal managed care plan via CalHEERS shall complete a training program that includes all of the following:
(i) The right to select a plan, to designate a plan at a later date, to have plan choice materials sent by mail, and that if the person does not select a plan, one will be selected for them.
(ii) All plan enrollment options and requirements with regard to MAGI Medi-Cal eligibility.
(iii) Any applicable timeframes in which the plan choice must be designated and the mechanism for designating plan choice.
(iv) How to use provider directories, how to identify which providers are in a particular plan network, and the applicable characteristics of primary care and specialty care providers and providers of other services, such as languages spoken, whether they are accepting new patients, and office locations.
(v) To the extent applicable, how to access Medi-Cal services prior to plan enrollment, including the right to retroactive Medi-Cal benefits.
(B) Any person that assists a Medi-Cal beneficiary who is not eligible for Medi-Cal on the basis of MAGI to select a Medi-Cal managed care plan shall complete a training program that includes all of the following:
(i) All of the information included in the training program described in subparagraph (A).
(ii) The enrollment options and requirements with regard to each Medi-Cal eligibility category, including whether enrollment is mandatory, how to obtain medical exemptions and continuity of care, waiver programs, carved-out services, and the California Children’s Services Program, as applicable.
(2) The department shall consult with a group of stakeholders through either a group currently in existence or convened for this purpose that includes representatives of plans, providers, consumer advocates, counties, eligibility workers, CalHEERS, the California Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange), and the Legislature to review process, timelines, scripts, training curricula, monitoring and oversight plans, and plan marketing and informational materials.
(3) In developing materials, scripts, and processes, the department and the Exchange shall consult with or test the materials, scripts, and processes with stakeholders that have expertise in health plan selection, and in assisting populations of diverse demographic characteristics such as race, ethnicity, language spoken, geographic region, sexual orientation, and gender identity or preference.
(4) The department, CalHEERS, the Exchange, and counties may adopt the recommendations of the advisory body convened in paragraph (2) and specify the reasons if the recommendations are not adopted.
(q) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2014.
(Repealed (in Sec. 19) and added by Stats. 2013, 1st Ex. Sess., Ch. 3, Sec. 20. (AB 1 1x) Effective September 30, 2013. Section operative January 1, 2014, by its own provisions.)