California Cancer Care Equity Act.

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services through various health care delivery systems, including managed care pursuant to Medi-Cal managed care plan contracts. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. This bill would, for covered benefits under its contract, require a Medi-Cal managed care plan to, among other things, make a good faith effort to contract with at least one National Cancer Institute (NCI) -designated comprehensive cancer center, site affiliated with the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) , or qualifying academic cancer center, as specified within each county in which the Medi-Cal managed care plan operates, and authorize any eligible enrollee diagnosed with a complex cancer diagnosis to request a referral to any of those centers to receive medically necessary services unless the enrollee chooses a different cancer treatment provider. The bill would require a Medi-Cal managed care plan to notify all enrollees of their right to request a referral to access to care through any of those centers. The bill would authorize the department to implement, interpret, or make specific the provisions by means of all-county letters or similar guidance, without taking further regulatory action. The bill would require the department, in consultation with stakeholders, to develop a process for updating and further defining a "complex cancer diagnosis" on a periodic basis. The bill would require the department to seek federal approval to implement those provisions and would require the provisions be implemented only to the extent that necessary federal approvals are obtained.