(a) Once every three years, the department shall assess enrollee experience with mental health benefits covered by Medi-Cal managed care plans pursuant to Section 14189 and paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 14184.402.

(b) No later than January 1, 2025, the department shall adopt survey tools and methodologies that shall meet all of the following conditions:

(1) Assess experience with the full range of mental health benefits covered by Medi-Cal managed care plans pursuant to Section 14189 and paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 14184.402.

(2) Assess consumer experience in various domains, including, but not limited to, receipt of treatment quickly, how well clinicians communicate, cultural competency of providers, communication with the plan and provider, receipt of treatment and information from the plan, including information related to patients’ rights, the treatment plan and options, and the sides effects of medication, perceived improvement, overall rating of counseling and other treatment, and overall rating of the plan.

(3) Assess consumer experience in a manner that utilizes survey best practice methods for data collection and reporting, including, but not limited to, staff training on data collection, the legality and use of data collection, how to work with patients to improve comfort levels in sharing the data, oversampling and collection of self-reported demographic data at the individual encounter level, and the use of data through existing enrollment and renewal processes.

(c) The department shall consider, and may utilize, existing tools in order to ensure alignment with national standards and state health care programs.

(d) (1) The department shall publish reports, commencing with a report in April 2026 and once every three years thereafter, on its internet website on consumer experience with mental health benefits covered by Medi-Cal managed care plans.

(2) The reports shall include plan-by-plan data, provide granularity for subpopulations, and address inequities based on key demographic factors, including, but not limited to, language, race, ethnicity, disability status, sexual orientation, and gender identity, to the extent that survey response rates produce statistically valid results. The reports shall exclude any personally identifiable information.

(3) The reports shall provide recommendations for improving access to mental health benefits covered by Medi-Cal managed care plans.

(e) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department may implement, interpret, or make specific this section, in whole or in part, by means of all-county letters, plan letters, provider bulletins, information notices, or other similar guidance, until any necessary regulations are adopted.

(f) For purposes of implementing this section, the department may enter into exclusive or nonexclusive contracts, or amend existing contracts, on a bid or negotiated basis. Contracts entered into or amended pursuant to this section shall be exempt from Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 14825) of Part 5.5 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, § 19130 of the Government Code, and Part 2 (commencing with Section 10100) of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code, and shall be exempt from the review or approval of any division of the Department of General Services.

(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 879, Sec. 2. (SB 1019) Effective January 1, 2023.)