(a) It is necessary that a special commission be established in the Counties of Tulare and San Joaquin in order to meet the problems of delivery of publicly assisted medical care in the county and to demonstrate ways of promoting quality care and cost efficiency. Because there is no general law under which such a commission could be formed, the adoption of a special act and the formation of a special commission is required.

(b) (1) The Board of Supervisors of the County of Tulare and the County of San Joaquin may, for each respective county, by ordinance, establish a commission to negotiate and enter into contracts authorized by Section 14087.3, and to arrange for the provision of health care services provided pursuant to this chapter. If the board of supervisors elects to enact this ordinance, all rights, powers, duties, privileges, and immunities vested in a county contracting with the department under this article shall be vested in the county commission.

(2) Health plans operated by the commission may also include, but are not limited to, individuals covered under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act (Subchapter XVIII (commencing with Section 1395) of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code), individuals and groups entitled to coverage under other publicly supported programs, individuals and groups employed by public agencies or private businesses, and uninsured or indigent persons.

(c) The enabling ordinance shall specify the membership of the county commission, the qualifications for individual members, the manner of appointment, selection, or removal of commissioners, and how long they shall serve, and any other matters as the board of supervisors deems necessary or convenient for the conduct of the county commission’s activities. Members of the commission shall be appointed by the county board of supervisors to represent the interests of the public, county, beneficiaries, physicians, hospitals, other health care providers, or other health care organizations. The commission so established shall be considered an entity separate from the county and shall file a statement required by § 53051 of the Government Code. The commission shall have the power to acquire, possess, and dispose of real or personal property, as may be necessary for the performance of its functions, to employ personnel and contract for services required to meet its obligations, to sue or be sued, and to enter into agreements under Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 6500) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code. Any obligations of a commission, statutory, contractual or otherwise, shall be obligations solely of the commission and shall not be the obligations of the county or of the state.

(d) Upon creation, the commission may borrow from the county, and the county may lend the commission, funds or issue revenue anticipation notes to obtain those funds necessary to commence operations. Prior to commencement of operations, the commission shall be licensed pursuant to the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code).

(e) In the event a commission may no longer function for the purposes for which it is established, at the time as the commission’s then existing obligations have been satisfied or the commission’s assets have been exhausted, the board of supervisors may, by ordinance, terminate the commission.

(f) Prior to the termination of the commission, the board of supervisors shall notify the department of its intent to terminate the commission. The department shall conduct an audit of the commission’s records within 30 days of the notification to determine the liabilities and assets of the commission. The department shall report its findings to the board within 10 days of completion of the audit. The board shall prepare a plan to liquidate or otherwise dispose of the assets of the commission and to pay the liabilities of the commission to the extent of the commission’s assets, and present the plan to the department within 30 days upon receipt of these findings.

(g) Any assets of the commission shall be disposed of pursuant to provisions contained in the contract entered into between the state and the commission pursuant to Section 14087.

(h) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature that if a commission is formed pursuant to this section, the county shall, with respect to its medical facilities and programs, occupy no greater or lesser status than any other health care provider with similar cost structure and patient population including, but not limited to, considerations of indigent care burden, capital requirements, graduate medical education, and disproportionate share status, in negotiating with the commission for contracts to provide health care services.

(2) Contracts between the department and the commission shall be on a nonbid basis and shall be exempt from Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 10290) of Part 2 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code.

(3) Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to interfere with or limit the commission from giving preference in negotiating to disproportionate share hospitals or other providers of health care to medically indigent or uninsured persons.

(i) Upon termination of the commission by the board, the county shall manage any remaining assets of the commission until superseded by a department approved plan. Any liabilities of the commission shall not become obligations of the county upon either the termination of the commission or the liquidation or disposition of the commission’s remaining assets.

(j) (1) The commission shall be considered a public entity for purposes of Division 3.6 (commencing with Section 810) of Title 1 of the Government Code.

(2) The commission, its members, and employees, are protected by the immunities applicable to public entities and public employees governed by Division 3.6 (commencing with Section 810) of Title 1 of the Government Code, except as provided by other statutes or regulations that apply expressly to the commission.

(k) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a member of the commission shall not be deemed to be interested in a contract entered into by the commission within the meaning of Article 4 (commencing with Section 1090) of Chapter 1 of Division 4 of Title 1 of the Government Code if all of the following apply:

(1) The member was appointed to represent the interest of physicians, health care practitioners, hospitals, pharmacies, or other health care organizations.

(2) The contract authorizes the member or the organization the member represents to provide services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries under the commission’s programs.

(3) The contract contains substantially the same terms and conditions as contracts entered into with other individuals or organizations that the member was appointed to represent.

(4) The member does not influence or attempt to influence the commission or another member of the commission to enter into the contract in which the member is interested.

(5) The member discloses the interest to the commission and abstains from voting on the contract.

(6) The commission notes the member’s disclosure and abstention in its official records and authorized the contract in good faith by a vote of its membership sufficient for the purpose without counting the vote of the interested member.

(l) All claims for money or damages against the commission shall be governed by Part 3 (commencing with Section 900) and Part 4 (commencing with Section 940) of Division 3.6 of Title 1 of the Government Code, except as provided by other statutes or regulations that expressly apply to the commission.

(m) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, except as otherwise provided in this section, a county shall not be liable for any act or omission of the commission.

(n) For the purposes of this section, “commission” means an entity separate from the county that meets the requirements of state and federal law and the quality, cost, and access criteria established by the department.

(o) The transfer of responsibility for health care services shall not relieve the county of its responsibility for indigent care pursuant to Section 17000.

(p) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the commission may meet in closed session to consider and take action on matters pertaining to contracts and contract negotiations by commission staff with providers of health care services concerning all matters related to rates of payment.

(q) Notwithstanding Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code and Article 2 (commencing with Section 54340) of Chapter 6 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code, or any other provision of law, any “peer review body,” as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of § 805 of the Business and Professions Code, formed pursuant to the powers granted to the commission authorized by this section, may, at its discretion and without notice to the public, meet in closed session, so long as the purpose of the meeting is the peer review body’s discharge of its responsibility to evaluate and improve the quality of care rendered by health facilities of health practitioners, pursuant to the powers granted the commission. The peer review body and its members shall receive to the fullest extent all immunities, privileges, and protections available to these peer review bodies, their individual members, and persons or entities assisting in the peer review process, including, but not limited to, those afforded by § 1370 of the Health and Safety Code.

(r) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, both the county and the commission shall be eligible to receive funding under subdivision (p) of Section 14163, and the commission shall be considered for all purposes to satisfy the requirements of subdivision (p) of Section 14163.

(s) The commission shall be deemed to be a public agency that is a unit of local government for purposes of all grant programs and other funding and loan guarantee programs.

(t) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, those records of the commission and of the county that reveal the rates of payment for health care services or the commission’s deliberative processes, discussions, communications, or any other portion of the negotiations with providers of health care services for rates of payment, shall not be disclosed pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code), or any similar local law requiring disclosure of public records. However, three years after a contract or amendment to a contract is fully executed, the portion of the contract or amendment containing the rates of payment shall be open to inspection.

(u) Notwithstanding the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code), Article 3 (commencing with Section 11200) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54960) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code, or any other provision of state or local law requiring disclosure of public records, those records of the commission and the county that reveal the proceedings of a peer review body, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of § 805 of the Business and Professions Code, formed pursuant to the powers granted to the commission authorized by this section, shall not be required to be disclosed. The records and proceedings of the peer review body and its members shall receive to the fullest extent, all immunities, privileges, and protections available to these records and proceedings, including, but not limited to, those afforded by § 1157 of the Evidence Code.

(v) (1) Provisions of the Evidence Code, the Government Code, including the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code), the Civil Code, the Business and Professions Code, and other applicable law pertaining to the confidentiality of peer review activities of peer review bodies shall apply to the peer review activities of the commission. Peer review proceedings shall constitute an official proceeding authorized by law within the meaning of § 47 of the Civil Code, and those privileges set forth in that section with respect to official proceedings shall apply to peer review proceedings of the commission. If the commission is required by law or contractual obligation to submit to the state or federal government peer review information or information relevant to the credentialing of a participating provider, that submission shall not constitute a waiver of confidentiality. All laws pertaining to the confidentiality of peer review activities shall be construed together as extending, to the extent permitted by law, the maximum degree of protection of confidentiality.

(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, § 1461 of the Health and Safety Code shall apply to hearings on the reports of hospital medical audit or quality assurance committees as they relate to network providers or applicants.

(w) Except as expressly provided by other provisions of this section, all exemptions and exclusions from disclosure as public records pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code), including, but not limited to, those pertaining to trade secrets and information withheld in the public interest, shall be fully applicable for all state agencies and local agencies with respect to all writings that the commission is required to prepare, produce, or submit pursuant to this section.

(x) (1) The commission may use a computerized management information system in connection with the administration of its health delivery system, including the administration of the state-mandated two-plan Medi-Cal managed care model.

(2) Information maintained in the management information system that pertains to persons who are Medi-Cal applicants or recipients shall be confidential pursuant to Section 14100.2, and shall not be open to examination other than for purposes directly connected with the administration of the Medi-Cal program, including, but not limited to, those set forth in subdivision (c) of Section 14100.2. This safeguarded information includes, but is not limited to, the names and addresses of recipients, the medical services provided, the social and economic conditions or circumstances of the recipients, an evaluation by the commission of personal information, and medical data, including the diagnosis and past history of disease or disability.

(3) Information maintained in the management information system that pertains to peer review-related activities shall be confidential and subject to the full protections of the law with respect to the confidentiality of activities related to peer review generally.

(y) (1) The records of the commission, whether paper records, records maintained in the management information system, or records in any other form, that relate to rates of payment, including records relating to rates of payment determination, allocation or distribution methodologies, formulas or calculations, and records of the health authority that relate to contract negotiations with providers of health care for alternative rates, shall not be subject to disclosure pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code).

(2) The transmission of the records of the commission, or the information contained therein in an alternative form, to the board of supervisors shall not constitute a waiver of exemption from disclosure, and the records and information, once transmitted to the county board of supervisors, shall be subject to this same exemption. The information, if compelled pursuant to an order of a court of competent jurisdiction or administrative body in a manner permitted by law, shall be limited to in camera review, and shall not be shared with the parties to the proceeding.

(3) The submission, to the Department of Managed Health Care, of information described in this section for the purpose of obtaining licensure under Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code, or to the State Department of Health Services, shall not constitute a waiver of exemption from disclosure.

(z) (1) (A) Notwithstanding the Ralph M. Brown Act (Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code), the commission may meet in closed session for the purpose of discussion of, or taking action on matters involving, commission trade secrets.

(B) The requirement that the commission make a public report of actions taken in closed session and the vote or abstention of every member present may be limited to a brief general description of the action taken and the vote so as to prevent the disclosure of a trade secret.

(C) For purposes of this subdivision, “commission trade secret” means a trade secret, as defined in subdivision (d) of § 3426.1 of the Civil Code, that also meets both of the following criteria:

(i) The secrecy of the information is necessary for the commission to initiate a new service, program, marketing strategy, business plan, or technology, or to add a benefit or product.

(ii) Premature disclosure of the trade secret would create a substantial probability of depriving the commission of a substantial economic benefit or opportunity.

(2) Those records of the commission that reveal the commission’s trade secrets are exempt from disclosure pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code), or any similar local law requiring the disclosure of public records. This exemption shall apply for a period of two years after the service, program, marketing strategy, business plan, technology, benefit, or product that is the subject of the trade secret is formally adopted by the governing body of the commission, provided that the service, program, marketing strategy, business plan, technology, benefit, or product continues to be a trade secret. The commission may delete the portion or portions containing trade secrets from any documents that were finally approved in the closed session held pursuant to paragraph (1) that are provided to persons who have made the timely or standing request.

(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing the commission from meeting in closed session as otherwise provided by law.

(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 228, Sec. 12.1. Effective August 16, 2004.)