15907. (Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 76, Sec. 2.)

(a) The department shall monitor the programs funded under the initiative for compliance with applicable federal requirements and the requirements under this part, and pursuant to the Special Terms and Conditions of California’s Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration project waiver number 11-W-00193/9 relating to hospital financing and health coverage expansion.

(b) To the extent necessary to implement this part, the department shall submit, by September 1, 2006, to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, proposed waiver amendments on the structure of, and eligibility and benefits under, the Health Care Coverage Initiative.

(d) No funds made available from the Health Care Support Fund for the Health Care Coverage Initiative shall be used by the department for administration.

(e) The request for applications, including any part of the process described herein for selecting entities to operate the Health Care Coverage programs, and any agreements entered into with a county, city and county, consortium of counties, or health authority pursuant to this part shall not be subject to Part 2 (commencing with Section 10100) of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code.

(f) The department may adopt regulations to implement this part. These regulations may initially be adopted as emergency regulations in accordance with the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code). For purposes of this part, the adoption of regulations shall be deemed an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety or general welfare. Any emergency regulations adopted pursuant to this section shall not remain in effect subsequent to the date that this part is repealed pursuant to Section 15908.

(g) As an alternative to subdivision (f), and notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, or any other provision of law, the department may implement and administer this part by means of provider bulletins, county letters, manuals, or other similar instructions, without taking regulatory action. The department shall notify the fiscal and appropriate policy committees of the Legislature of its intent to issue a provider bulletin, county letter, manual, or other similar instruction, at least five days prior to issuance. In addition, the department shall provide a copy of any provider bulletin, county letter, manual, or other similar instruction issued under this paragraph to the fiscal and appropriate policy committees of the Legislature.

(h) The department shall consult with interested parties and appropriate stakeholders regarding the implementation and ongoing administration of this part.