California Insurance Code 12710-12714
12710. The California Major Risk Medical Insurance Program is hereby created in the Health and Welfare Agency. The program shall be managed by the Major Risk Medical Insurance Board. The board shall consist of seven members, five of whom shall be appointed as follows: The Governor shall appoint three members, subject to confirmation by the Senate, and shall designate one of these appointees as chair of the board. The Senate Committee on Rules shall appoint one member. The Speaker of the Assembly shall appoint one member. The terms of appointment shall be four years. The Secretary of Business, Transportation, and Housing, or his or her designee, and the Secretary of Health and Welfare, or his or her designee, shall serve on the board as ex officio, nonvoting members. The board shall appoint an executive director for the board, who shall serve at the pleasure of the board. The executive director shall receive the salary established by the Department of Personnel Administration for exempt officials. The executive director shall administer the affairs of the board as directed by the board, and shall direct the staff of the board. The executive director may appoint, with the approval of the board, staff necessary to carry out the provisions of this part. 12710.1. The Major Risk Medical Insurance Board is hereby renamed the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board. Any contract or agreement entered into by the Major Risk Medical Insurance Board shall constitute contracts or agreements entered into by the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board. Any reference in any statute, regulation, contract, or any other document to the Major Risk Medical Insurance Board as of the effective date of this act shall be deemed a reference to the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board. 12711. The board shall have the authority: (a) To determine the eligibility of applicants. (b) To determine the major risk medical coverage to be provided program subscribers. (c) To research and assess the needs of persons not adequately covered by existing private and public health care delivery systems and promote means of assuring the availability of adequate health care services. (d) To approve subscriber contributions, and plan rates, and establish program contribution amounts. (e) To provide major risk medical coverage for subscribers or to contract with a participating health plan or plans to provide or administer major risk medical coverage for subscribers. (f) To authorize expenditures from the fund to pay program expenses which exceed subscriber contributions. (g) To contract for administration of the program or any portion thereof with any public agency, including any agency of state government, or with any private entity. (h) To issue rules and regulations to carry out the purposes of this part. (i) To authorize expenditures from the fund or from other moneys appropriated in the annual Budget Act for purposes relating to Section 10127.15 of this code or Section 1373.62 of the Health and Safety Code. (j) To exercise all powers reasonably necessary to carry out the powers and responsibilities expressly granted or imposed upon it under this part. 12711.5. The board shall include a promotional component in the administrative costs of the program. This component shall include reasonable costs of advertising and other appropriate means of notifying the public of the program. Any state agency requested by the board shall provide assistance in implementing this promotional component of the program. 12712. The board shall, pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), adopt all necessary rules and regulations to carry out this part, including the following: (a) Establishing the scope and content of adequate major medical coverage. (b) Determining reasonable minimum standards for participating health plans. (c) Determining the time, manner, method, and procedures for withdrawing program approval from a plan. (d) Researching and assessing the needs of persons without adequate health coverage, and promoting means of assuring the availability of adequate health care services. (e) Administering the program so as to ensure that the program subsidy amount does not exceed amounts transferred to the fund pursuant to Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 12739). (f) Issuing appropriate rules and regulations for any other matters it may be authorized or required to provide for by this part. In adopting these rules and regulations, the board shall be guided by the needs and welfare of persons unable to secure adequate health coverage for themselves and their dependents, and prevailing practices among private health plans. 12713. Plan rates for major risk medical benefits approved for the program shall not be excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory, but shall be adequate to pay anticipated costs of claims or services and administration. 12714. There is in the program an appropriately qualified three-member physician advisory panel to be appointed by the board to provide consultation to the board on the utilization review, including peer review and quality assurance procedures of any participating health plan. The composition of the panel shall reflect the types of delivery systems providing services in this state. This consultation shall be nonbinding. The term of office of each member of this panel shall be for three years.
