California Code, Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 14182.1

(a) Beginning March 2011, the department shall convene a stakeholder workgroup to review the existing encounter, claims, and financial data submission process required by the department under managed care health plan contracts. The workgroup members shall be selected by the department and shall include interested representatives from Medi-Cal managed care health plans, managed care health plan associations, hospitals, individual health care providers, physician groups, and consumer representatives. In reviewing the process, the department shall consider input from the stakeholder workgroup and develop data quality submission standards by October 2011.

(b) Beginning January 1, 2012, managed care health plans shall comply with the quality submission standards developed pursuant to subdivision (a) when submitting data to the department. The director may impose a penalty for each month that a managed care health plan fails to submit data in compliance with these standards. The penalty shall be in proportion to that plan's failure to comply with the data submission standards, as the director in his or her sole discretion determines, and in no event shall the penalty exceed 2 percent of the total monthly capitation rate for that plan.

(c) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department may implement, interpret, or make specific this section by means of all-county letters, plan letters, plan or provider bulletins, or similar instructions, without taking regulatory action. Prior to issuing any letter or similar instrument authorized pursuant to this section, the department shall notify and consult with stakeholders, including advocates, providers, and beneficiaries. The department shall notify the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature of its intent to issue instructions under this section at least five days in advance of the issuance. If the department elects to adopt regulations, the adoption of regulations shall be deemed an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, or general welfare.