(a) A health insurance policy issued, amended, renewed, or delivered on or after January 1, 2017, excluding specialized health insurance policies, shall be prohibited from requiring an insured to receive a referral before receiving coverage or services for reproductive and sexual health care.

(b) (1) For the purposes of this section, “reproductive and sexual health care services” are all reproductive and sexual health services described in Sections 6925, 6926, 6927, and 6928 of the Family Code, or Section 121020 of the Health and Safety Code, obtained by a patient.

(2) This section applies whether or not the patient is a minor.

(c) In implementing this section, a health insurer may establish reasonable provisions governing utilization protocols for obtaining reproductive and sexual health care services, as provided for in subdivision (a), if these provisions are consistent with the intent of this section and are those customarily applied to other health care providers, such as primary care physicians and surgeons, to whom the insured has direct access, and are not more restrictive for reproductive and sexual health care services. An insured shall not be required to obtain prior approval from another physician, another provider, or the insurer before obtaining direct access to reproductive and sexual health care services. An insurer may establish reasonable provisions governing communication with the insured’s primary care physician and surgeon regarding the insured’s condition, treatment, and a need for followup care.

(d) This section shall not apply to a health insurance policy that does not require insureds to obtain a referral from their primary care physician before seeking covered health care services from a specialist.

(e)  A health insurer shall not impose utilization protocols related to contraceptive drugs, supplies, and devices beyond those in Section 10123.196.

(f) This section shall not apply to specialized health insurance, Medicare supplement insurance, CHAMPUS supplement insurance, or TRICARE supplement insurance, or to hospital indemnity, accident-only, or specified disease insurance.

(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 687, Sec. 11. (SB 910) Effective January 1, 2019.)