Section 10178.5 Of Article 4. Payment And Proceeds From California Insurance Code >> Division 2. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 4.
10178.5
. (a) Every self-insured employee welfare benefit plan
issued, amended, or renewed on and after January 1, 1987, that offers
coverage for medical transportation services, shall contain a
provision providing for direct reimbursement to any provider of
covered medical transportation services if the provider has not
received payment for those services from any other source.
(b) Subdivision (a) shall not apply to any transaction between a
provider of medical transportation services and a self-insured
employee welfare benefit plan if the parties have entered into a
contract providing for direct payment.
(c) For purposes of this subdivision, "direct reimbursement" means
the following:
The insured shall file a claim for the medical transportation
service with the plan; the plan shall pay the medical transportation
provider directly; and the medical transportation provider shall not
demand payment from the insured until having received payment from
the plan, at which time the medical transportation provider may
demand payment from the insured for any unpaid portion of the
provider's fee.