Every health insurer, including those insurers that contract for alternative rates of payment pursuant to Section 10133, and every self-insured employee welfare benefit plan that will affect the choice of physician, hospital, or other health care providers shall include within its disclosure form and within its evidence or certificate of coverage a statement clearly describing how participation in the policy or plan may affect the choice of physician, hospital, or other health care providers, and describing the nature and extent of the financial liability that is, or that may be, incurred by the insured, enrollee, or covered dependents if care is furnished by a provider that does not have a contract with the insurer or plan to provide service at alternative rates of payment pursuant to Section 10133. The form shall clearly inform prospective insureds or plan enrollees that participation in the policy or plan will affect the person’s choice in this regard by placing the following statement in a conspicuous place on all material required to be given to prospective insureds or plan enrollees including promotional and descriptive material, disclosure forms, and certificates and evidences of coverage:

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION SO YOU WILL KNOW FROM WHOM OR WHAT GROUP OF PROVIDERS HEALTH CARE MAY BE OBTAINED

It is not the intent of this section to require that the names of individual health care providers be enumerated to prospective insureds or enrollees.

If a health insurer providing coverage for hospital, medical, or surgical expenses provides a list of facilities to patients or contracting providers, the insurer shall include within the provider listing a notification that insureds or enrollees may contact the insurer in order to obtain a list of the facilities with which the health insurer is contracting for subacute care and/or transitional inpatient care.

(Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 441, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2006.)