(a) Every health care service plan contract issued, amended, renewed, or delivered on or after January 1, 2017, shall be prohibited from requiring an enrollee to receive a referral prior to receiving coverage or services for reproductive and sexual health care.

(b) (1) For the purposes of this section, “reproductive and sexual health care services” are all reproductive and sexual health services described in Sections 6925, 6926, 6927, and 6928 of the Family Code, or Section 121020 of the Health and Safety Code, obtained by a patient.

(2) For the purposes of this section, “reproductive and sexual health care services” do not include the services subject to a health care service plan’s referral procedures as required by subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 1374.16.

(3) This section applies whether or not the patient is a minor.

(c) In implementing this section, a health care service plan may establish reasonable provisions governing utilization protocols for obtaining reproductive and sexual health care services, as provided for in subdivision (a), from health care providers participating in, or contracting with, the plan network, medical group, or independent practice association, provided that these provisions shall be consistent with the intent of this section and shall be those customarily applied to other health care providers, such as primary care physicians and surgeons, to whom the enrollee has direct access, and shall not be more restrictive for the provision of reproductive and sexual health care services. An enrollee shall not be required to obtain prior approval from another physician, another provider, or the health care service plan prior to obtaining direct access to reproductive and sexual health care services. A health care service plan may establish reasonable provisions governing communication with the enrollee’s primary care physician and surgeon regarding the enrollee’s condition, treatment, and any need for followup care.

(d) This section shall not apply to a health care service plan contract that does not require enrollees to obtain a referral from their primary care physician prior to seeking covered health care services from a specialist.

(e) A health care service plan shall not impose utilization protocols related to contraceptive drugs, supplies, and devices beyond the provisions outlined in Section 1367.25 of this code or Section 14132 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(f) This section shall not apply to specialized health care service plan contracts or any health care service plan that is governed by Section 14131 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 495, Sec. 3. (AB 1954) Effective January 1, 2017.)