(a) Except as provided by any other law, the requirements of this article apply to health care service plans that cover hospital, medical, or surgical expenses, including a health care service plan that contracts with the State Department of Health Care Services to provide health care services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries, and specialized health care service plans that provide behavioral health care.
(b) The obligation of a health care service plan to comply with this article is not waived if the health care service plan delegates any services or functions to its medical groups, independent practice associations, or other contracting entities.