(a) A health care service plan shall notify enrollees and members of the public of all of the following information:

(1) The availability of language assistance services, including oral interpretation and translated written materials, free of charge and in a timely manner pursuant to Section 1367.04, and how to access these services. This information shall be available in the top 15 languages spoken by limited-English-proficient individuals in California as determined by the State Department of Health Care Services.

(2) The availability of appropriate auxiliary aids and services, including qualified interpreters for individuals with disabilities and information in alternate formats, free of charge and in a timely manner, when those aids and services are necessary to ensure an equal opportunity to participate for individuals with disabilities.

(3) The health plan does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, marital status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

(4) The availability of the grievance procedure described in Section 1368, how to file a grievance, including the name of the plan representative and the telephone number, address, and email address of the plan representative who may be contacted about the grievance, and how to submit the grievance to the department for review after completing the grievance process or participating in the process for at least 30 days.

(5) How to file a discrimination complaint with the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights if there is a concern of discrimination based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

(b) The information required to be provided pursuant to this section shall be provided to an enrollee with individual coverage upon initial enrollment and annually thereafter upon renewal, and to enrollees and subscribers with group coverage upon initial enrollment and annually thereafter upon renewal. A health care service plan may include this information with other materials sent to the enrollee. The information shall also be provided in the following manner:

(1) In a conspicuously visible location in the evidence of coverage.

(2) At least annually, in or with newsletters, outreach, or other materials that are routinely disseminated to the plan’s enrollees.

(3) On the Internet Web site published and maintained by the health care service plan, in a manner that allows enrollees, prospective enrollees, and members of the public to easily locate the information.

(c) (1) A specialized health care plan that is not a covered entity, as defined in Section 92.4 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, subject to Section 1557 of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 18116) may request an exemption from the requirements under this section.

(2) The department shall not grant an exemption under this subdivision to a specialized health care service plan that arranges for mental health benefits, except for employee assistance program plans.

(3) The department shall provide information on its Internet Web site about any exemptions granted under this subdivision.

(d) This section does not apply to Medi-Cal managed care plan contracts entered into with the State Department of Health Care Services pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) or Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 14200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 92, Sec. 132. (SB 1289) Effective January 1, 2019.)