(a) A Medi-Cal managed care plan participating in the Whole Child Model program shall create and maintain a clinical advisory committee, composed of the managed care contractor’s chief medical officer or the equivalent, the county CCS medical director, and at least four CCS-paneled providers, to advise on clinical issues relating to CCS conditions, including treatment authorization guidelines, and serve as clinical advisers on other clinical issues relating to CCS conditions.

(b) (1) A Medi-Cal managed care plan participating in the Whole Child Model program shall establish a family advisory group for CCS families.

(2) Family representatives who serve on this advisory group may receive a reasonable per diem payment to enable in-person participation in the advisory group. A plan may conduct family advisory group meetings by teleconference or through other similar electronic means to facilitate family participation in this advisory group.

(3) A representative of this local group shall be invited to serve on the department‘s statewide stakeholder advisory group established pursuant to subdivision (c).

(c) (1) The department shall establish a statewide Whole Child Model program stakeholder advisory group, or modify an existing Whole Child Model program stakeholder advisory group, composed of representatives of CCS providers, county CCS program administrators, health plans, family resource centers, regional centers, recognized exclusive representatives of CCS county providers, CCS case managers, CCS medical therapy units, and representatives from family advisory groups established pursuant to subdivision (b). Participation on the statewide stakeholder advisory group shall be voluntary, and members shall be ineligible for travel or other per diem payments.

(2) The department shall consult with the stakeholder advisory group on the implementation of the Whole Child Model program and shall consider the recommendations of the stakeholder advisory group in developing the monitoring processes and outcome measures by which the plans participating in the Whole Child Model program shall be monitored and evaluated.

(3) The statewide Whole Child Model program stakeholder advisory group, as established under this section, shall terminate on December 31, 2026.

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 42, Sec. 132. (AB 118) Effective July 10, 2023.)