CA Health & Safety Code Section 1385.07

(a)

Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code, all information submitted under this article shall be made publicly available by the department except as provided in subdivision (b).

(b)

(1)The contracted rates between a health care service plan and a provider shall be deemed confidential information that shall not be made public by the department and are exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code). The contracted rates between a health care service plan and a provider shall not be disclosed by a health care service plan to a large group purchaser that receives information pursuant to Section 1385.10.

(2)

The contracted rates between a health care service plan and a large group shall be deemed confidential information that shall not be made public by the department and are exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code). Information provided to a large group purchaser pursuant to Section 1385.10 shall be deemed confidential information that shall not be made public by the department and shall be exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code).

(c)

All information submitted to the department under this article shall be submitted electronically in order to facilitate review by the department and the public.

(d)

In addition, the department and the health care service plan shall, at a minimum, make the following information readily available to the public on their Internet Web sites, in plain language and in a manner and format specified by the department, except as provided in subdivision (b). The information shall be made public for 60 days prior to the implementation of the rate increase. The information shall include:

(1)

Justifications for any unreasonable rate increases, including all information and supporting documentation as to why the rate increase is justified.

(2)

A plan’s overall annual medical trend factor assumptions in each rate filing for all benefits.

(3)

A health plan’s actual costs, by aggregate benefit category to include hospital inpatient, hospital outpatient, physician services, prescription drugs and other ancillary services, laboratory, and radiology.

(4)

The amount of the projected trend attributable to the use of services, price inflation, or fees and risk for annual plan contract trends by aggregate benefit category, such as hospital inpatient, hospital outpatient, physician services, prescription drugs and other ancillary services, laboratory, and radiology. A health plan that exclusively contracts with no more than two medical groups in the state to provide or arrange for professional medical services for the enrollees of the plan shall instead disclose the amount of its actual trend experience for the prior contract year by aggregate benefit category, using benefit categories that are, to the maximum extent possible, the same or similar to those used by other plans.