Immediate postpartum contraception.

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 provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law generally regulates contractual provisions between health care service plans and health insurers and their contracting health care providers. This bill would require a contract between a health care service plan or health insurer and a health care provider issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, to authorize a provider to separately bill for devices, implants, or professional services, or a combination thereof, associated with immediate postpartum contraception if the birth takes place in a general acute care hospital or licensed birth center. The bill would prohibit that provider contract from considering those devices, implants, or services to be part of a payment for a general obstetric procedure. Because a violation of the bill's requirements by a health care service plan 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.