(a) A staff-model dental health care service plan that arranges for or establishes credit extended by a third party shall establish and comply with policies and procedures that ensure that its dentists, employees, and agents, and employees or agents of its dentists, comply with Section 654.3 of the Business and Professions Code.

(b) A staff-model dental health care service plan that arranges for or establishes credit extended by a third party shall establish and comply with policies and procedures that ensure that, within 15 business days of an enrollee’s request, the plan refunds to a lender any payment received through that credit for treatment that has not been rendered or costs that have not been incurred.

(c) A staff-model dental health care service plan that directly extends credit or establishes a payment plan shall, at a minimum, establish and comply with policies and procedures that ensure that, within 15 business days of an enrollee’s request, the plan refunds to the enrollee any payment received through that credit or payment plan for treatment that has not been rendered or costs that have not been incurred.

(d) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) “Staff-model dental health care service plan” means a specialized health care service plan that contracts to provide coverage for dental care services and that retains dentists as employees to care for its enrollees.

(2) “Enrollee” includes, but is not limited to, an enrollee’s parent or other legal representative.

(Added by Stats. 2009, Ch. 418, Sec. 2. (AB 171) Effective January 1, 2010.)