(a) The department shall pay any managed care plan participating in the Whole Child Model program a separate, actuarially sound rate specifically for CCS children and youth, to the extent that an actuarially sound rate can be developed for the managed care plan’s CCS population. When contracting with managed care plans, the department may allow the use of risk corridors or other methods to appropriately mitigate a plan’s risk for this population. If services are already established in the rate of a Medi-Cal managed care plan prior to January 1, 2016, the department shall not be required to create a separate rate for the Whole Child Model program.

(b) Medi-Cal managed care plans shall pay physician and surgeon provider services at rates that are equal to or exceed the applicable CCS fee-for-service rates, unless the physician and surgeon enters into an agreement on an alternative payment methodology mutually agreed to by the physician and surgeon and the Medi-Cal managed care plan

(Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 625, Sec. 7. (SB 586) Effective January 1, 2017.)