(a) The director shall require fully documented medical justification from providers that the requested services are medically necessary or a medical necessity, as defined in Section 14059.5, on all requests for prior authorization.
(b) For services not subject to prior authorization controls, offered by noncontract hospitals in closed health facility planning areas to beneficiaries who were experiencing life-threatening or emergency situations, but could not be stabilized sufficiently in order to facilitate being transported to contracting hospitals, the director shall additionally determine utilization controls that shall be applied to ensure that the health care services provided and the conditions treated, are medically necessary to prevent significant illness, alleviate severe pain, to protect life, or prevent significant disability. These utilization controls shall take into account those diseases, illnesses, or injuries that require preventive health services or treatment to prevent serious deterioration of health.
(c) Nothing in this section shall preclude payment for family planning services or early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment services mandated by federal law.
(d) For the purposes of this section, a “noncontract hospital” means a hospital that has not contracted with the department for the provision of inpatient services pursuant to Article 2.6 (commencing with Section 14081).
(e) This section shall not be applied to mental health services as defined under Division 5 (commencing with Section 5000) or Section 14021, or any other mental health services funded by the Medi-Cal program.
(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 855, Sec. 2. (SB 1287) Effective January 1, 2019.)