Any health care service plan that offers a point-of-service plan contract may do all of the following:

(a) Limit or exclude coverage for specific types of services or conditions when obtained out-of-plan.

(b) Include annual out-of-pocket limits, copayments, and annual and lifetime maximum benefit limits for out-of-network coverage or services that are different or separate from any amounts or limits applied to in-network coverage or services, and may impose a deductible on coverage for out-of-network coverage or services.

(c) To the extent permitted under this chapter, may limit the groups to which a point-of-service plan contract is offered, and may adopt nondiscriminatory renewal guidelines under which one or more point-of-service plan contracts would be replaced with other than point-of-service plan contracts. If a point-of-service plan contract is sold to a group, then the group shall offer it to all members of that group who are eligible for coverage by the health care service plan.

(d) Treat as out-of-network services those services that an enrollee obtains from a provider affiliated with the plan, but not in accordance with the authorization procedures set forth in the health care service plan’s approved evidence of coverage.

(e) Contracts between health care service plans and medical providers, for the purpose of providing medical services under point-of-service contracts, may include risk-sharing arrangements for out-of-network services, but only if the risk sharing arrangements meet all of the following conditions:

(1) The contracting medical provider agrees to participate in risk-sharing arrangements applicable to out-of-network services.

(2) If the medical provider is reimbursed on a capitated or prepaid basis, the contract shall clearly disclose the capitation or prepayment amount to be paid to the medical provider for in-network services received by enrollees under point-of-service contracts.

(3) Any capitation or prepayment amounts paid to the medical provider shall not place the medical provider directly at risk for or directly transfer liability for out-of-network services received by enrollees under point-of-service contracts.

(4) The risk-sharing arrangements for out-of-network services may provide a bonus or incentive to the medical provider to attempt to reduce the utilization of out-of-network services, but shall not place the medical provider at risk for any amounts in excess of the amounts used by the plan to budget for or fund the risk-sharing pool for out-of-network services.

(5) The contract between the medical provider and the plan shall clearly disclose the mathematical method by which funding for the risk-sharing arrangement is established, the mathematical method by which and the extent to which payments for out-of-network services are debited against the risk-sharing funds, and the method by which the risk-sharing arrangement is reconciled on no less than an annual basis.

(6) The contract is approved by the director.

(Amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 525, Sec. 117. Effective January 1, 2000. Operative July 1, 2000, or sooner, by Sec. 214 of Ch. 525.)