Cal. HSC § 1399.871
This is the official text of Cal. HSC § 1399.871, part of California’s Health and Safety Code — covers public health, hospitals, controlled substances, and environmental health standards.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Official statutory text
(a) (1) The department shall establish standard measures and annual benchmarks for equity and quality in health care delivery.
(2) A standard measure or annual benchmark shall not be adopted, updated, or revised in any manner without being discussed during at least one public meeting of the Health Equity and Quality Committee before the meeting in which the committee makes recommendations to the director.
(3) Standard measures and annual benchmarks shall sunset at most every five years from the date the department establishes standard measures and annual benchmarks pursuant to paragraph (1). To continue the standard measures and annual benchmarks, the department shall conduct a public assessment, at least one year before the sunset, of whether the measures and benchmarks are improving quality and equity, consistent with this article.
(b) In establishing the standard measures and annual benchmarks pursuant to subdivision (a), the department shall consider the recommendations made by the Health Equity and Quality Committee pursuant to Section 1399.870, as well as stakeholder comments on draft standards and benchmarks.
(c) After the department establishes the standard measures and benchmarks pursuant to subdivision (a), a health care service plan shall comply with the annual benchmarks and shall demonstrate compliance in reports submitted to the department pursuant to Section 1399.872.
(d) (1) On or before January 1, 2026, a health care service plan and its subcontracted health care service plans shall have and maintain National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) accreditation.
(2) This subdivision does not apply to a health care service plan that contracts with the State Department of Health Care Services to provide health care services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries. NCQA accreditation for these plans shall be in accordance with Section 14184.203 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(e) Throughout the development, implementation, and updating of the standard measures and annual benchmarks pursuant to this section, the department shall coordinate with the State Department of Health Care Services, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, the California Health Benefit Exchange, CalPERS, and the State Department of Public Health.
(2) A standard measure or annual benchmark shall not be adopted, updated, or revised in any manner without being discussed during at least one public meeting of the Health Equity and Quality Committee before the meeting in which the committee makes recommendations to the director.
(3) Standard measures and annual benchmarks shall sunset at most every five years from the date the department establishes standard measures and annual benchmarks pursuant to paragraph (1). To continue the standard measures and annual benchmarks, the department shall conduct a public assessment, at least one year before the sunset, of whether the measures and benchmarks are improving quality and equity, consistent with this article.
(b) In establishing the standard measures and annual benchmarks pursuant to subdivision (a), the department shall consider the recommendations made by the Health Equity and Quality Committee pursuant to Section 1399.870, as well as stakeholder comments on draft standards and benchmarks.
(c) After the department establishes the standard measures and benchmarks pursuant to subdivision (a), a health care service plan shall comply with the annual benchmarks and shall demonstrate compliance in reports submitted to the department pursuant to Section 1399.872.
(d) (1) On or before January 1, 2026, a health care service plan and its subcontracted health care service plans shall have and maintain National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) accreditation.
(2) This subdivision does not apply to a health care service plan that contracts with the State Department of Health Care Services to provide health care services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries. NCQA accreditation for these plans shall be in accordance with Section 14184.203 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(e) Throughout the development, implementation, and updating of the standard measures and annual benchmarks pursuant to this section, the department shall coordinate with the State Department of Health Care Services, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, the California Health Benefit Exchange, CalPERS, and the State Department of Public Health.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in California?
Find a California lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.