BILL NUMBER: SB 1877 CHAPTERED 08/16/02 CHAPTER 227 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE AUGUST 16, 2002 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR AUGUST 15, 2002 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY JULY 3, 2002 PASSED THE SENATE MAY 16, 2002 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 2, 2002 INTRODUCED BY Senator Johnson FEBRUARY 22, 2002 An act to amend Section 1357.16 of the Health and Safety Code, and to amend Section 10718.55 of the Insurance Code, relating to health care. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1877, Johnson. Health care. Existing law authorizes health care service plans and disability insurers administering health benefit plans covering employees of small employers to enter into agreements with qualified associations to assume responsibility for certain administrative functions. Existing law limits the types of services provided by the association and specifies the requirements needed for an association to qualify. Under existing law, these provisions are repealed on January 1, 2003. A violation of the provisions relating to health care service plans is a crime. This bill would delete the repeal date for these provisions. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 1357.16 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 1357.16. (a) Health care service plans may enter into contractual agreements with qualified associations, as defined in subdivision (b), under which these qualified associations may assume responsibility for performing specific administrative services, as defined in this section, for qualified association members. Health care service plans that enter into agreements with qualified associations for assumption of administrative services shall establish uniform definitions for the administrative services that may be provided by a qualified association or its third-party administrator. The health care service plan shall permit all qualified associations to assume one or more of these functions when the health care service plan determines the qualified association demonstrates the administrative capacity to assume these functions. For the purposes of this section, administrative services provided by qualified associations or their third-party administrators shall be services pertaining to eligibility determination, enrollment, premium collection, sales, or claims administration on a per-claim basis that would otherwise be provided directly by the health care service plan or through a third-party administrator on a commission basis or an agent or solicitor workforce on a commission basis. Each health care service plan that enters into an agreement with any qualified association for the provision of administrative services shall offer all qualified associations with which it contracts the same premium discounts for performing those services the health care service plan has permitted the qualified association or its third-party administrator to assume. The health care service plan shall apply these uniform discounts to the health care service plan's risk adjusted employee risk rates after the health plan has determined the qualified association's risk adjusted employee risk rates pursuant to Section 1357.12. The health care service plan shall report to the Department of Managed Health Care its schedule of discount for each administrative service. In no instance may a health care service plan provide discounts to qualified associations that are in any way intended to, or materially result in, a reduction in premium charges to the qualified association due to the health status of the membership of the qualified association. In addition to any other remedies available to the director to enforce this chapter, the director may declare a contract between a health care service plan and a qualified association for administrative services pursuant to this section null and void if the director determines any discounts provided to the qualified association are intended to, or materially result in, a reduction in premium charges to the qualified association due to the health status of the membership of the qualified association. (b) For the purposes of this section, a qualified association is a nonprofit corporation comprised of a group of individuals or employers who associate based solely on participation in a specified profession or industry, that conforms to all of the following requirements: (1) It accepts for membership any individual or small employer meeting its membership criteria. (2) It does not condition membership directly or indirectly on the health or claims history of any person. (3) It uses membership dues solely for and in consideration of the membership and membership benefits, except that the amount of the dues shall not depend on whether the member applies for or purchases insurance offered by the association. (4) It is organized and maintained in good faith for purposes unrelated to insurance. (5) It existed on January 1, 1972, and has been in continuous existence since that date. (6) It has a constitution and bylaws or other analogous governing documents that provide for election of the governing board of the association by its members. (7) It offered, marketed, or sold health coverage to its members for 20 continuous years prior to January 1, 1993. (8) It agrees to offer only to association members any plan contract. (9) It agrees to include any member choosing to enroll in the plan contract offered by the association, provided that the member agrees to make required premium payments. (10) It complies with all provisions of this article. (11) It had at least 10,000 enrollees covered by association sponsored plans immediately prior to enactment of Chapter 1128 of the Statutes of 1992. (12) It applies any administrative cost at an equal rate to all members purchasing coverage through the qualified association. (c) A qualified association shall comply with Section 1357.52. (d) The department shall monitor compliance with this section and report the impact of any noncompliance to the Assembly Insurance Committee and the Senate Insurance Committee on January 1, 2002. SEC. 2. Section 10718.55 of the Insurance Code is amended to read: 10718.55. (a) Carriers may enter into contractual agreements with qualified associations, as defined in subdivision (b), under which these qualified associations may assume responsibility for performing specific administrative services, as defined in this section, for qualified association members. Carriers that enter into agreements with qualified associations for assumption of administrative services shall establish uniform definitions for the administrative services that may be provided by a qualified association or its third-party administrator. The carrier shall permit all qualified associations to assume one or more of these functions when the carrier determines the qualified association demonstrates that it has the administrative capacity to assume these functions. For the purposes of this section, administrative services provided by qualified associations or their third-party administrators shall be services pertaining to eligibility determination, enrollment, premium collection, sales, or claims administration on a per-claim basis that would otherwise be provided directly by the carrier or through a third-party administrator on a commission basis or an agent or solicitor workforce on a commission basis. Each carrier that enters into an agreement with any qualified association for the provision of administrative services shall offer all qualified associations with which it contracts the same premium discounts for performing those services the carrier has permitted the qualified association or its third-party administrator to assume. The carrier shall apply these uniform discounts to the carrier's risk adjusted employee risk rates after the carrier has determined the qualified association's risk adjusted employee risk rates pursuant to Section 10714. The carrier shall report to the department its schedule of discounts for each administrative service. In no instance may a carrier provide discounts to qualified associations that are in any way intended to, or materially result in, a reduction in premium charges to the qualified association due to the health status of the membership of the qualified association. In addition to any other remedies available to the commissioner to enforce this chapter, the commissioner may declare a contract between a carrier and a qualified association for administrative services pursuant to this section null and void if the commissioner determines any discounts provided to the qualified association are intended to, or materially result in, a reduction in premium charges to the qualified association due to the health status of the membership of the qualified association. (b) For the purposes of this section, a qualified association is a nonprofit corporation comprised of a group of individuals or employers who associate based solely on participation in a specified profession or industry, that conforms to all of the following requirements: (1) It accepts for membership any individual or small employer meeting its membership criteria. (2) It does not condition membership, directly or indirectly, on the health or claims history of any person. (3) It uses membership dues solely for and in consideration of the membership and membership benefits, except that the amount of the dues shall not depend on whether the member applies for or purchases insurance offered by the association. (4) It is organized and maintained in good faith for purposes unrelated to insurance. (5) It existed on January 1, 1972, and has been in continuous existence since that date. (6) It has a constitution and bylaws or other analogous governing documents that provide for election of the governing board of the association by its members. (7) It offered, marketed, or sold health coverage to its members for 20 continuous years prior to January 1, 1993. (8) It agrees to offer any plan contract only to association members. (9) It agrees to include any member choosing to enroll in the plan contract offered by the association, provided that the member agrees to make required premium payments. (10) It complies with all provisions of this article. (11) It had at least 10,000 enrollees covered by association-sponsored plans immediately prior to enactment of Chapter 1128 of the Statutes of 1992. (12) It applies any administrative cost at an equal rate to all members purchasing coverage through the qualified association. (c) A qualified association shall comply with the requirements set forth in Section 10198.9. SEC. 3. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.