(a) A self-insured employee welfare benefit plan doing business in this state and providing coverage that includes California residents but that may be written or issued for delivery outside of California where benefits are provided within the scope of practice of a licensed clinical social worker, a registered nurse licensed pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 2700) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code who possesses a master’s degree in psychiatric-mental health nursing and two years of supervised experience in psychiatric-mental health nursing, a marriage and family therapist who is the holder of a license under Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 4980) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, or a professional clinical counselor who is the holder of a license under Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 4999.10) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, shall not be deemed to prohibit persons covered under the plan from selecting those licensees in California to perform the services in California that are within the terms of the contract even though the licensees are not licensed in the state where the contract is written or issued.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature in amending this section in the 1984 portion of the 1983–84 Legislative Session that persons covered by the plan and those providers of health care specified in this section who are licensed in California should be entitled to the benefits provided by the plan for services of those providers rendered to those persons.

(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 381, Sec. 40. (SB 146) Effective January 1, 2012.)