(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and except as provided herein, any person or other entity that provides coverage in this state for medical, surgical, chiropractic, physical therapy, speech pathology, audiology, professional mental health, dental, hospital, or optometric expenses, whether the coverage is by direct payment, reimbursement, or otherwise, shall be presumed to be subject to the jurisdiction of the department unless the person or other entity shows that while providing the services it is subject to the jurisdiction of another agency of this or another state or the federal government.
(b) A person or entity may show that it is subject to the jurisdiction of another agency of this or another state or the federal government by providing to the commissioner the appropriate certificate or license issued by the other governmental agency that permits or qualifies it to provide those services for which it is licensed or certificated.
(c) Any person or entity that is unable to show that it is subject to the jurisdiction of another agency of this or another state or the federal government, shall submit to an examination by the commissioner to determine the organization and solvency of the person or the entity, and to determine whether the person or entity is in compliance with the applicable provisions of this code, and shall be required to obtain a certificate of authority to do business in California and be required to meet all appropriate reserve, surplus, capital, and other necessary requirements imposed by this code for all insurers.
(d) Any person or entity unable to show that it is subject to the jurisdiction of another agency of this or another state or the federal government shall be subject to all appropriate provisions of this code regarding the conduct of its business.
(e) The department shall prepare and maintain for public inspection a list of those persons or entities described in subdivision (a) that are not subject to the jurisdiction of another agency of this or another state or the federal government and that the department knows to be operating in this state. There shall be no liability of any kind on the part of the state, the department, and its employees for the accuracy of the list or for any comments made with respect to it.
(f) Any administrator licensed by the department who advertises or administers coverage in this state described in subdivision (a), that is provided by any person or entity described in subdivision (c), and where the coverage does not meet all pertinent requirements specified in this code and that is not provided or completely underwritten, insured or otherwise fully covered by an admitted life or disability insurer, hospital service plan or health care service plan, shall advise and disclose to any purchaser, prospective purchaser, covered person or entity, and any production agency licensed by the department involved in the transaction, all financial and operational information relative to the content and scope of the plan and, specifically, as to the lack of insurance or other coverage.
Any production agency obtaining knowledge of any coverage relative to the content and scope of a hospital service plan or health care service plan, as required under this subdivision, shall advise and disclose to any purchaser, prospective purchaser, covered person or entity, the knowledge regarding the content and scope of the plan and, specifically, as to the lack of insurance by an admitted carrier or other qualified plan.
(g) A health care service plan, as defined in Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code, shall not be subject to this section.
(h) The department shall notify, in writing, the Director of the Department of Managed Health Care whenever it determines that a multiple employer trust qualifies as a health care service plan subject to Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code.
(i) Any health care service plan, including a self-insured reimbursement plan that pays for or reimburses any part of the cost of health care services, operated by any city, county, city and county, public entity, or political subdivision, or a public joint labor management trust as described in subdivision (c) of Section 1349.2 of the Health and Safety Code, that is exempt pursuant to Section 1349.2 of the Health and Safety Code from the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code), is also exempt from this code.
(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 857, Sec. 53. Effective January 1, 2001.)