Section 1492 - Retention payments to eligible employees or physicians; requirements(a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the department shall provide funding to participant covered entities, covered services employers, and physician entities to make retention payments to their eligible employees or eligible physicians, and shall make retention payments directly to eligible physicians who are not employees of a covered entity or physician entity, for the public purposes specified in Section 1490. The department may provide up to one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) for each eligible full-time employee, one thousand two hundred and fifty dollars ($1,250) for each eligible part-time employee, or one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each eligible physician, subject to the methodology described in subdivision (d) and the aggregate amount of funding available for this purpose.(b) As a condition of receipt of funding pursuant to this section, a covered entity, covered services employer or a physician entity shall submit to the department the following information for each eligible full-time employee, eligible part-time employee, or eligible physician employed by, or otherwise affiliated with, a covered entity, covered services employer, or physician entity, by a date specified by the department:(1) Name of the eligible full-time employee, eligible part-time employee, or, if applicable, eligible physician employed by, or otherwise affiliated with, a covered entity or physician entity.(2) Mailing address of the eligible full-time employee, eligible part-time employee, or, if applicable, eligible physician employed by, or otherwise affiliated with, the covered entity or physician entity.(3) The total amount of matching retention payments that the covered entity or covered services employer paid or will pay to the eligible full-time employee or eligible part-time employee. A covered entity or covered services employer is not obligated to make a matching retention payment.(4) Number of hours for which the covered entity or covered services employer compensated the eligible full-time employee or eligible part-time employee during the qualifying work period.(5) If a covered entity, a list of eligible physicians that are employed by the covered entity, contracted with or employed by a physician entity under contract with the covered entity, or described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (g) of Section 1491.(6) If a covered services employer, a list of covered entities that the covered services employer contracts with for specified services staff.(7) Any other information as required by the department for purposes of implementing this part.(c) Following the deadline specified by the department for submissions by a covered entity, covered services employer, or physician entity pursuant to subdivision (b), the department shall determine the amount of the retention payment to be paid by each participant covered entity, covered services employer, or physician entity to each eligible employee or eligible physician, and the amount of retention payment to be paid by the department to each eligible physician who is not an employee of a covered entity or employed by or contracted with a physician entity, based on available funding and the total number of eligible full-time employees, eligible part-time employees, and eligible physicians reported pursuant to subdivision (b). The amount of the retention payment shall be calculated as follows, subject to available funding and reduced on a pro rata basis if necessary:(1) For an eligible full-time employee, the state payment amount shall be one thousand dollars ($1,000) plus the amount of matching retention payment paid to the eligible full-time employee by the covered entity or covered services employer, up to a total maximum state payment of one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500).(2) For an eligible part-time employee, the state payment amount shall be seven hundred and fifty dollars ($750) plus the amount of matching retention payment paid to the eligible part-time employee by the covered entity or covered services employer, up to a total maximum state payment of one thousand two hundred and fifty dollars ($1,250).(3) For an eligible physician, the state payment amount shall be one thousand dollars ($1,000).(4) The department may reduce the payment amounts described in paragraphs (1), (2), or (3) on a pro rata basis to reflect the total amount of funding appropriated to the department and the total number of eligible full-time employees, eligible part-time employees, and eligible physicians reported.(5) To the extent feasible, the department shall adopt a methodology so that a single eligible full-time employee, eligible part-time employee, or eligible physician affiliated with multiple covered entities, covered services employers, or physician entities does not receive more than one retention payment.(d)(1) The department shall determine the conditions and data reporting requirements for participant covered entities, covered services employers, and physician entities to be eligible to receive funding for retention payments.(2) The covered entity, covered services employer, or physician entity shall provide all funding to their eligible employees and eligible physicians within 60 days of receipt from the department. The covered entity, covered services employer, or physician entity shall attest, in a form and manner specified by the department and under penalty of perjury, that all funding received pursuant to this section was provided within 60 days of receipt from the department.(3) The covered entity, covered services employer, or physician entity shall immediately return to the department any funding received pursuant to this section that is not distributed within 60 days of receipt from the department. The department shall return the funds to the original appropriation and the Department of Finance may transfer any unspent or returned funds from the original appropriation to the General Fund.(4) The covered entity, covered services employer, or physician entity shall report to the department within 90 days of receipt of funds information on the number of eligible employees or eligible physicians paid by profession type, the total amount of payments made including covered entity or covered services employer matching funds for eligible employees, and information on the timing of payments.(5) The covered employer, covered services employer, or physician entity shall not use the funding to supplant other payments from the covered employer, covered services employer, or physician entity to the eligible full-time employee, eligible part-time employee, or eligible physician.(e)(1) The department may make payments described in this section to covered entities and eligible physicians using the existing Medi-Cal Checkwrite system. Except as required by federal law, any payments made pursuant to this section shall be exempt from any adjustments or deductions made by the department to Medi-Cal payments made to covered entities or eligible physicians, including, but not limited to, provider withholds or provider payment reductions.(2) Payments made pursuant to this section to covered entities, covered services employers, physician entities, or eligible physicians shall not be considered as payments for patient care or medical services.(3) The Department of Health Care Access and Information, in consultation with appropriate stakeholders, shall release a technical letter to instruct covered entities, physician entities, and eligible physicians in how to report this revenue through the established health care financial reports, including, but not limited to, those required under Section 128810 of the Health and Safety Code, or Section 97040 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.(f) The department may enter into exclusive or nonexclusive contracts, or amend existing contracts, on a bid or negotiated basis for purposes of implementing this part. Contracts entered into or amended pursuant to this subdivision shall be exempt from Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 14825) of Part 5.5 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, Section 19130 of the Government Code, Part 2 (commencing with Section 10100) of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code, and from the State Administrative and State Contracting manuals, and shall be exempt from the review or approval of any division of the Department of General Services.(g) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department and the Department of Health Care Access and Information may implement, interpret, or make specific this part, in whole or in part, by means of information notices or other similar instructions, without taking any further regulatory action.(h) The Legislature finds and declares that this section is a state law within the meaning of Section 1621(d) of Title 8 of the United States Code.(i) This part shall be implemented only to the extent that the department determines that federal financial participation under the Medi-Cal program is not jeopardized.Added by Stats 2022 ch 47 (SB 184),s 37, eff. 6/30/2022.