(a)  The Legislature finds and declares that the unique, private, and personal relationship between women patients and their obstetricians and gynecologists warrants direct access to obstetrical and gynecological physician services.

(b)  Each health care service plan contract issued, amended, renewed, or delivered in this state, except a specialized health care service plan, shall allow an enrollee the option to seek obstetrical and gynecological physician services directly from a participating obstetrician and gynecologist or directly from a participating family physician and surgeon designated by the plan as providing obstetrical and gynecological services.

(c)  In implementing this section, a health care service plan may establish reasonable requirements governing utilization protocols and the use of obstetricians and gynecologists, or family physicians and surgeons, as provided for in subdivision (b), participating in the plan network, medical group, or independent practice association, if those requirements are consistent with the intent of this section, are customarily applied to other physicians and surgeons, such as primary care physicians and surgeons, to whom the enrollee has direct access, and are no more restrictive for the provision of obstetrical and gynecological physician services. An enrollee shall not be required to obtain prior approval from another physician, another provider, or the health care service plan prior to obtaining direct access to obstetrical and gynecological physician services, but the plan may establish reasonable requirements for the participating obstetrician and gynecologist or family physician and surgeon, as provided for in subdivision (b), to communicate with the enrollee’s primary care physician and surgeon regarding the enrollee’s condition, treatment, and any need for followup care.

(d)  This section does not diminish the requirements of Section 1367.69.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 632, Sec. 7. (AB 1622) Effective January 1, 2020.)