Section 1371.36.
Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 1371.36.
in effect(a)
A health care service plan shall not deny payment of a claim on the basis that the plan, medical group, independent practice association, or other contracting entity did not provide authorization for health care services that were provided in a licensed acute care hospital and that were related to services that were previously authorized, if all of the following conditions are met:
(1)
It was medically necessary to provide the services at the time.
(2)
The services were provided after the plan’s normal business hours.
(3)
The plan does not maintain a system that provides for the availability of a plan representative or an alternative means of contact through an electronic system, including voicemail or electronic mail, whereby the plan can respond to a request for authorization within 30 minutes of the time that a request was made.
(b)
This section shall not apply to investigational or experimental therapies, or other noncovered services.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026