§ 9767.5. Access Standards.

(a) A MPN must have at least three physicians of each specialty expected to treat common injuries experienced by injured employees based on the type of occupation or industry in which the employee is engaged and within the access standards set forth in (b) and (c).

(b) A MPN must have a primary treating physician and a hospital for emergency health care services, or if separate from such hospital, a provider of all emergency health care services, within 30 minutes or 15 miles of each covered employee's residence or workplace.

(c) A MPN must have providers of occupational health services and specialists within 60 minutes or 30 miles of a covered employee's residence or workplace.

(d) If a MPN applicant believes that, given the facts and circumstances with regard to a portion of its service area, specifically rural areas including those in which health facilities are located at least 30 miles apart, the accessibility standards set forth in subdivisions (b) and/or (c) are unreasonably restrictive, the MPN applicant may propose alternative standards of accessibility for that portion of its service area. The MPN applicant shall do so by including the proposed alternative standards in writing in its plan approval application or in a notice of MPN plan modification. The alternative standards shall provide that all services shall be available and accessible at reasonable times to all covered employees.

(e)(1) The MPN applicant shall have a written policy for arranging or approving non-emergency medical care for: (A) a covered employee authorized by the employer to temporarily work or travel for work outside the MPN geographic service area when the need for medical care arises; (B) a former employee whose employer has ongoing workers' compensation obligations and who permanently resides outside the MPN geographic service area; and (C) an injured employee who decides to temporarily reside outside the MPN geographic service area during recovery.

(2) The written policy shall provide the employees described in subdivision (e)(1) above with the choice of at least three physicians outside the MPN geographic service area who either have been referred by the employee's primary treating physician within the MPN or have been selected by the MPN applicant. In addition to physicians within the MPN, the employee may change physicians among the referred physicians and may obtain a second and third opinion from the referred physicians.

(3) The referred physicians shall be located within the access standards described in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section.

(4) Nothing in this section precludes a MPN applicant from having a written policy that allows a covered employee outside the MPN geographic service area to choose his or her own provider for non-emergency medical care.

(f) For non-emergency services, the MPN applicant shall ensure that an appointment for initial treatment is available within 3 business days of the MPN applicant's receipt of a request for treatment within the MPN.

(g) For non-emergency specialist services to treat common injuries experienced by the covered employees based on the type of occupation or industry in which the employee is engaged, the MPN applicant shall ensure that an appointment is available within 20 business days of the MPN applicant's receipt of a referral to a specialist within the MPN.

(h) If the primary treating physician refers the covered employee to a type of specialist not included in the MPN, the covered employee may select a specialist from outside the MPN.

(i) The MPN applicant shall have a written policy to allow an injured employee to receive emergency health care services from a medical service or hospital provider who is not a member of the MPN.

HISTORY

1. New section filed 11-1-2004 as an emergency; operative 11-1-2004 (Register 2004, No. 45). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 3-1-2005 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.

2. New section refiled 2-28-2005 as an emergency; operative 3-1-2005 (Register 2005, No. 9). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 6-29-2005 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.

3. New section refiled 6-20-2005 as an emergency; operative 6-29-2005 (Register 2005, No. 25). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 10-27-2005 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.

4. Certificate of Compliance as to 6-20-2005 order, including amendment of section, transmitted to OAL 7-29-2005 and filed 9-9-2005 (Register 2005, No. 36).

Note

Note: Authority cited: Sections 133 and 4616(g), Labor Code. Reference: Sections 4616 and 4616.3, Labor Code.