(a) The premium rate for a small employer health benefit plan issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2014, shall vary with respect to the particular coverage involved only by the following:

(1) Age, pursuant to the age bands established by the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services and the age rating curve established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services pursuant to Section 2701(a)(3) of the federal Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 300gg(a)(3)). Rates based on age shall be determined using the individual’s age as of the date of the plan issuance or renewal, as applicable, and shall not vary by more than three to one for like individuals of different age who are 21 years of age or older as described in federal regulations adopted pursuant to Section 2701(a)(3) of the federal Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 300gg(a)(3)).

(2) (A) Geographic region. The geographic regions for purposes of rating shall be the following:

(i) Region 1 shall consist of the Counties of Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, and Yuba.

(ii) Region 2 shall consist of the Counties of Marin, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma.

(iii) Region 3 shall consist of the Counties of El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo.

(iv) Region 4 shall consist of the City and County of San Francisco.

(v) Region 5 shall consist of the County of Contra Costa.

(vi) Region 6 shall consist of the County of Alameda.

(vii) Region 7 shall consist of the County of Santa Clara.

(viii) Region 8 shall consist of the County of San Mateo.

(ix) Region 9 shall consist of the Counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz.

(x) Region 10 shall consist of the Counties of Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare.

(xi) Region 11 shall consist of the Counties of Fresno, Kings, and Madera.

(xii) Region 12 shall consist of the Counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.

(xiii) Region 13 shall consist of the Counties of Imperial, Inyo, and Mono.

(xiv) Region 14 shall consist of the County of Kern.

(xv) Region 15 shall consist of the ZIP Codes in the County of Los Angeles starting with 906 to 912, inclusive, 915, 917, 918, and 935.

(xvi) Region 16 shall consist of the ZIP Codes in the County of Los Angeles other than those identified in clause (xv).

(xvii) Region 17 shall consist of the Counties of Riverside and San Bernardino.

(xviii) Region 18 shall consist of the County of Orange.

(xix) Region 19 shall consist of the County of San Diego.

(B) No later than June 1, 2017, the department, in collaboration with the Exchange and the Department of Managed Health Care, shall review the geographic rating regions specified in this paragraph and the impacts of those regions on the health care coverage market in California, and submit a report to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. The requirement for submitting a report imposed under this subparagraph is inoperative June 1, 2021, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.

(3) Whether the health benefit plan covers an individual or family, as described in PPACA.

(b) The rate for a health benefit plan subject to this section shall not vary by any factor not described in this section.

(c) The total premium charged to a small employer pursuant to this section shall be determined by summing the premiums of covered employees and dependents in accordance with Section 147.102(c)(1) of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(d) The rating period for rates subject to this section shall be no less than 12 months from the date of issuance or renewal of the health benefit plan.

(e) If Section 2701 of the federal Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 300gg), as added by Section 1201 of PPACA, is repealed, this section shall become inoperative 12 months after the repeal date, in which case rates for health benefit plans subject to this section shall instead be subject to Section 10714, to the extent permitted by federal law, and all references to this section shall be deemed to be references to Section 10714.

(Amended by Stats. 2013, 1st Ex. Sess., Ch. 1, Sec. 14. (AB 2 1x) Effective September 30, 2013. Conditionally inoperative as prescribed by its own provisions.)