(a) As used in this section, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) “Health care service plan” means any plan as defined in § 1345 of the Health and Safety Code, but this section does not apply to specialized health care service contracts.

(2) “Carrier” means a health care service plan, an insurer issuing group disability coverage which covers hospital, medical, or surgical expenses, a nonprofit hospital service plan, or any other entity responsible for either the payment of benefits for or the provision of hospital, medical, and surgical benefits under a group contract.

(3) “Insolvency” means that the Director of the Department of Managed Health Care has determined that the health care service plan is not financially able to provide health care services to its enrollees and (A) the Director of the Department of Managed Health Care has taken an action pursuant to Section 1386, 1391, or 1399 of the Health and Safety Code, or (B) an order requested by the Director of the Department of Managed Health Care or the Attorney General has been issued by the superior court under Section 1392, 1393, or 1394.1 of the Health and Safety Code.

(b) In the event of the insolvency of a health care service plan, upon order of the commissioner which shall be issued following his or her receipt of a notice issued by the Director of the Department of Managed Health Care pursuant to § 1394.7 of the Health and Safety Code, any insurer, nonprofit hospital service plan, and any other entity, other than a health care service plan, responsible for either the payment of benefits for or the provision of hospital, medical, and surgical benefits under a group contract, that participated in the enrollment process with the insolvent health care service plan at the last regular open enrollment period of a group, shall offer enrollees of the group in the insolvent health care service plan a 30-day enrollment period commencing upon the date of insolvency. Each such carrier shall offer enrollees of the group in the insolvent health care service plan the same coverages and rates that it offered to enrollees of the group at the last regular open enrollment period of the group.

(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 857, Sec. 57. Effective January 1, 2001.)