(a) If a health insurer offers a service via telehealth to an insured through a third-party corporate telehealth provider, all of the following conditions shall be met:

(1) The health insurer shall disclose to the insured in any promotion or coordination of the service both of the following:

(A) The availability of receiving the service on an in-person basis or via telehealth, if available, from the insured’s primary care provider, treating specialist, or from another contracting individual health professional, a contracting clinic, or a contracting health facility consistent with the service and existing timeliness and geographic access standards in Section 10133.5 and regulations promulgated thereunder.

(B) If the insured has coverage for out-of-network benefits, a reminder of the availability of receiving the service either via telehealth or on an in-person basis using the insured’s out-of-network benefits, and the cost sharing obligation for out-of-network benefits compared to in-network benefits and balance billing protections for services received from contracted providers.

(2) After being notified pursuant to paragraph (1), the insured chooses to receive the service via telehealth through a third-party corporate telehealth provider.

(3) The insured consents to the service consistent with § 2290.5 of the Business and Professions Code.

(4) If the insured is currently receiving specialty telehealth services for a mental or behavioral health condition, the insured is given the option of continuing to receive that service with the contracting individual health professional, a contracting clinic, or a contracting health facility.

(b) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) “Contracting individual health professional” means a physician and surgeon or other professional who is licensed by the state to deliver or furnish health care services, including mental or behavioral health services, and who is contracted with the insured’s health insurer. A “contracting individual health professional” shall not include a dentist licensed pursuant to the Dental Practice Act (Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 1600) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code). Application of this definition is not precluded by a contracting individual health professional’s affiliation with a group.

(2) “Contracting clinic” means a clinic, as defined in § 1200 of the Health and Safety Code, that is contracted with the insured’s health insurer.

(3) “Contracting health facility” mean a health facility, as defined in § 1250 of the Health and Safety Code, that is contracted with the insured’s health insurer.

(4) “Third-party corporate telehealth provider” means a corporation directly contracted with a health insurer that provides health care services exclusively through a telehealth technology platform and has no physical location at which a patient can receive services.

(c) If services are provided to an insured through a third-party corporate telehealth provider, a health insurer shall comply with all of the following:

(1) Notify the insured of the insured’s right to access the insured’s medical records pursuant to, and consistent with, Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 123100) of Part 1 of Division 106 of the Health and Safety Code.

(2) Notify the insured that the record of any services provided to the insured through a third-party corporate telehealth provider shall be shared with the insured’s primary care provider, unless the insured objects.

(3) Ensure that the records are entered into a patient record system shared with the insured’s primary care provider or are otherwise provided to the insured’s primary care provider, unless the insured objects, in a manner consistent with state and federal law.

(4) Notify the insured that all services received through the third-party corporate telehealth provider are considered to be in network available at in-network cost-sharing and out-of-pocket costs shall accrue to any applicable deductible or out-of-pocket maximum.

(d) A health insurer shall include in its reports submitted to the department pursuant to Section 10133.5 and regulations adopted pursuant to that section, in a manner specified by the commissioner, all of the following for each product type:

(1) By specialty, the total number of services delivered via telehealth provided by third-party corporate telehealth providers.

(2) The names of each third-party corporate telehealth provider contracted with the insurer and, for each, the number of services provided by specialty.

(3) For each third-party corporate telehealth provider with which it contracts, the percentage of the third-party corporate telehealth provider’s contracted providers available to the insurer’s insured that are also contracting individual health professionals.

(4) For each third-party corporate telehealth provider with which it contracts, the types of telehealth services utilized by insureds, including frequency of use, gender, age, and any other information as determined by the department.

(5) For each enrollee that has accessed services for a third-party corporate telehealth provider, enrollee demographic data, including gender and age, and any other information as determined by the department.

(e) The commissioner shall investigate and take enforcement action, as appropriate, against a health insurer that fails to comply with these requirements and shall periodically evaluate contracts between health insurers and third-party corporate telehealth providers to determine if any audit, evaluation, or enforcement actions should be undertaken by the commissioner.

(f) This section shall not apply when an insured seeks services directly from a third-party corporate telehealth provider.

(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 439, Sec. 7. (AB 457) Effective January 1, 2022.)