(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to improve access to oral health and dental care services provided to Medi-Cal beneficiaries enrolled in dental health managed care plans in the Counties of Sacramento and Los Angeles through implementation of performance contracting to ensure dental health plans meet quality criteria and timely access to dental care, as contained in Section 14459.6, and implementation of a beneficiary dental exception process for Medi-Cal beneficiaries in the County of Sacramento to access dental care through fee-for-service Denti-Cal when applicable.

(b) (1) The Director of Health Care Services shall exercise his or her authority under Section 14131.15 to establish a beneficiary dental exception (BDE) process, as described in paragraph (2), for Medi-Cal beneficiaries mandatorily enrolled in dental health plans in the County of Sacramento. The BDE process shall be implemented no later than July 1, 2012, and shall be in effect for as long as mandatory enrollment for dental care is in effect in the County of Sacramento. The department shall consult with the advisory committee established pursuant to Section 14089.08 regarding potential modifications to the BDE process. For purposes of emergency access to dental care issues, the department shall establish specific processes under the BDE to accommodate for these issues.

(2) The BDE shall be available to Medi-Cal dental managed care beneficiaries in the County of Sacramento who are unable to secure access to services through their managed care plan, in accordance with applicable contractual timeframes and in accordance with 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). The BDE shall allow a beneficiary to opt-out of Medi-Cal dental managed care and move into fee-for-service Denti-Cal where the beneficiary may select his or her own dental provider on an ongoing basis. The beneficiary shall remain in fee-for-service Denti-Cal until the time he or she chooses to opt in to a dental managed care arrangement.

(3) Beneficiaries shall be notified of the BDE option, which shall include the process for access to emergency visits, through a letter from the department detailing the process, directions on how to fill out the BDE form, and where to access the BDE form. A hard copy of the BDE form shall accompany the letter from the department. The BDE form, directions on how to fill out the BDE form, and a description of the process shall also be posted on the department’s Internet Web site for easy access by beneficiaries and the public. The department shall also notify and inform dental managed care plans of the BDE process and its operation.

(4) Upon receipt of the BDE form, the department shall have no more than three business days to contact the beneficiary. The department shall, within five business days from the date of contact with the beneficiary, work with the beneficiary and the dental plan to schedule an appointment within the applicable contractual timeframes and in accordance with 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).

(A) If an appointment is not available, the department shall approve and process the BDE and move the beneficiary into fee-for-service Denti-Cal.

(B) If an appointment is available, the beneficiary shall receive from the department a followup telephone call after the appointment to assess how the visit went and to determine if there is a need for any additional followup.

(5) Based on the followup as identified in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (4), to the extent no additional access issues to contractually required services are identified, the BDE shall be closed and the beneficiary shall remain in the selected dental plan.

(c) The department shall take all necessary steps to implement the BDE process as described in this section and shall, monthly, publicly report on the department’s Internet Web site the number of individuals requesting the BDE and the specific outcome of each request, including, but not limited to, summary data on the types of visits subject to the BDE process, the services provided, description of timely access to care, the delivery system in which services were provided, beneficiary satisfaction, and the department’s perspective of the outcome. The information provided on the department’s Internet Web site shall be deidentified in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Availability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), including Section 164.514 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and shall not contain any personally indentifiable information according to the Information Practices Act of 1977 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1798) of Title 1.8 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code).

(d) The department shall consult with stakeholders in the development of the BDE form and related materials.

(Added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 23, Sec. 80. (AB 1467) Effective June 27, 2012.)