Opinion No. (2000)

BILL LOCKYER Attorney General ANTHONY S. Da VIGO Deputy Attorney General THE HONORABLE SCOTT WILDMAN, MEMBER OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY, has requested an opinion on the following question: May a corporation licensed as a health care service plan enter into an agreement with providers of audiological services, a specialty not covered by the plan, pursuant to which the corporation will refer its enrollees to licensed audiologists who agree to furnish free audiological evaluations and discounted rates for hearing aids to any enrollees of the plan? CONCLUSION A corporation licensed as a health care service plan may enter into an agreement with providers of audiological services, a specialty not covered by the plan, pursuant to which the corporation will refer its enrollees to licensed audiologists who agree to furnish free audiological evaluations and discounted rates for hearing aids to any enrollees of the plan. ANALYSIS A corporation licensed by the Department of Corporations ("Department") as a health care service plan under the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Health Saf. Code, § 1340 et seq.; "Act") 1 offers a variety of full service and specialized…