(a) For any insurance contracts entered into after January 1, 1990, where any private insurer, certified medical plan, or private health service plan is liable to pay or reimburse a professional provider or institutional provider for the costs of medically necessary mental health services provided to the patient, the costs of the clinical review required by Sections 6002.10 to 6002.40, inclusive, including, but not limited to, the costs of the interpreter, if any, and the costs of the patients’ rights advocate, shall be borne by the insurer, certified medical plan, or the health service plan. Payments to providers for the costs of the independent clinical review shall be made promptly.

For Medi-Cal eligible patients placed in these private facilities, the costs of the clinical review required by Sections 6002.10 to 6002.40, inclusive, including the costs of the patients rights advocate, shall be borne by the county.

(b) The Legislature intends that Sections 6002.10 to 6002.40, inclusive, affect only the rights of minors confined in private mental health facilities on the consent of their parents or guardians, where the costs of treatment are paid or reimbursed by a private insurer or private health service plan.

(c) Mental health facilities shall summarize on an annual basis, information including, but not limited to, the number of minors admitted by diagnosis, length of stay, and source of payment, the number of requests for an independent clinical review by diagnosis, source of payment, and outcome of the independent clinical review and submit this information to the State Department of Health Care Services. The State Department of Public Health shall monitor compliance of this section during an inspection of the facility pursuant to Sections 1278 and 1279 of the Health and Safety Code.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 34, Sec. 213. (SB 1009) Effective June 27, 2012.)