Accountable care organizations.

Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law, the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) , enacts various health care coverage market reforms that take effect on January 1, 2014. The PPACA, among other things, allows for the establishment of provider-based accountable care organizations to promote accountability for a patient population and coordinate items and services, as provided under federal law. This bill would require an accountable care organization, as defined, operating in the state to have a clinical laboratory testing advisory board, as specified, to recommend testing guidelines that the accountable care organization may adopt. Because a willful violation of that requirement by an accountable care organization would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.