(a) For contract periods commencing on or after January 1, 2026, the department may require each Medi-Cal managed care plan and each health plan subcontractor of a Medi-Cal managed care plan to be accredited by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, or an alternative entity pursuant to subdivision (c), in accordance with this section and the CalAIM Terms and Conditions.
(b) The department shall not use findings from the accreditation pursuant to subdivision (a) to certify or deem a Medi-Cal managed care plan’s compliance with applicable state and federal Medicaid requirements, except in the area of credentialing.
(c) If the department determines that a Medi-Cal managed care plan or an applicable health plan subcontractor thereof is unable to receive accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance due to population size, the department may authorize alternate accreditation if the requirements applied are substantially similar to those applied pursuant to subdivision (a), as determined by the department.
(d) For purposes of this section, “subcontractor” has the same meaning as set forth in Section 438.2 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations.