(a) The director may, after appropriate notice and opportunity for a hearing, by order suspend or revoke any license issued under this chapter to a health care service plan or assess administrative penalties if the director determines that the licensee has committed any of the acts or omissions constituting grounds for disciplinary action.
(b) The following acts or omissions constitute grounds for disciplinary action by the director:
(1) The plan is operating at variance with the basic organizational documents as filed pursuant to Section 1351 or 1352, or with its published plan, or in any manner contrary to that described in, and reasonably inferred from, the plan as contained in its application for licensure and annual report, or any modification thereof, unless amendments allowing the variation have been submitted to, and approved by, the director.
(2) The plan has issued, or permits others to use, evidence of coverage or uses a schedule of charges for health care services that do not comply with those published in the latest evidence of coverage found unobjectionable by the director.
(3) The plan does not provide basic health care services to its enrollees and subscribers as set forth in the evidence of coverage. This subdivision shall not apply to specialized health care service plan contracts.
(4) The plan is no longer able to meet the standards set forth in Article 5 (commencing with Section 1367).
(5) The continued operation of the plan will constitute a substantial risk to its subscribers and enrollees.
(6) The plan has violated or attempted to violate, or conspired to violate, directly or indirectly, or assisted in or abetted a violation or conspiracy to violate any provision of this chapter, any rule or regulation adopted by the director pursuant to this chapter, or any order issued by the director pursuant to this chapter.
(7) The plan has engaged in any conduct that constitutes fraud or dishonest dealing or unfair competition, as defined by Section 17200 of the Business and Professions Code.
(8) The plan has permitted, or aided or abetted any violation by an employee or contractor who is a holder of any certificate, license, permit, registration, or exemption issued pursuant to the Business and Professions Code or this code that would constitute grounds for discipline against the certificate, license, permit, registration, or exemption.
(9) The plan has aided or abetted or permitted the commission of any illegal act.
(10) The engagement of a person as an officer, director, employee, associate, or provider of the plan contrary to the provisions of an order issued by the director pursuant to subdivision (c) of this section or subdivision (d) of Section 1388.
(11) The engagement of a person as a solicitor or supervisor of solicitation contrary to the provisions of an order issued by the director pursuant to Section 1388.
(12) The plan, its management company, or any other affiliate of the plan, or any controlling person, officer, director, or other person occupying a principal management or supervisory position in the plan, management company, or affiliate, has been convicted of or pleaded nolo contendere to a crime, or committed any act involving dishonesty, fraud, or deceit, which crime or act is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a person engaged in business in accordance with this chapter. The director may revoke or deny a license hereunder irrespective of a subsequent order under the provisions of Section 1203.4 of the Penal Code.
(13) The plan violates Section 510, 2056, or 2056.1 of the Business and Professions Code or Section 1375.7.
(14) The plan has been subject to a final disciplinary action taken by this state, another state, an agency of the federal government, or another country for any act or omission that would constitute a violation of this chapter.
(15) The plan violates the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (Part 2.6 (commencing with Section 56) of Division 1 of the Civil Code).
(16) The plan violates Section 806 of the Military and Veterans Code.
(17) The plan violates Section 1262.8.
(18) The plan violates Chapter 8.5 (commencing with Section 127671) of Part 2 of Division 107, including the data submission requirements of that chapter.
(c) (1) The director may prohibit any person from serving as an officer, director, employee, associate, or provider of any plan or solicitor firm, or of any management company of any plan, or as a solicitor, if either of the following applies:
(A) The prohibition is in the public interest and the person has committed, caused, participated in, or had knowledge of a violation of this chapter by a plan, management company, or solicitor firm.
(B) The person was an officer, director, employee, associate, or provider of a plan or of a management company or solicitor firm of any plan whose license has been suspended or revoked pursuant to this section and the person had knowledge of, or participated in, any of the prohibited acts for which the license was suspended or revoked.
(2) A proceeding for the issuance of an order under this subdivision may be included with a proceeding against a plan under this section or may constitute a separate proceeding, subject in either case to subdivision (d).
(d) A proceeding under this section shall be subject to appropriate notice to, and the opportunity for a hearing with regard to, the person affected in accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 1397.
(Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 12, Sec. 4. (AB 80) Effective June 29, 2020.)