CA AB236

Requires health care service plans and health insurers to meet escalating provider directory accuracy benchmarks: 60% by July 1, 2025, 80% by 2026, 90% by 2027, and 95% by 2028, with annual verification and deletion of inaccurate listings.

Imposes administrative penalties of $500-$5,000 per 1,000 enrollees/insureds for missing initial benchmarks, and $1,000-$10,000 per 1,000 for subsequent years of noncompliance.

Requires plans and insurers to arrange coverage and reimburse enrollees/insureds who reasonably relied on materially inaccurate directory information, with providers reimbursed at contracted rates and unable to collect additional amounts beyond in-network cost-sharing.

Authorizes plans and insurers to delay provider payment for up to one month if providers fail to respond to directory verification requests, with 10 business days' advance notice required.

Requires annual provider directory reviews with notifications at least semi-annually for individual providers and annually for others, with providers removable after 10-business-day notice if unresponsive.