(

a) Except in the case of a specialized health care service plan, a health care service plan which negotiates and enters into a contract with professional providers to provide services at alternative rates of payment of the type described in Sections and of the Insurance Code, shall give reasonable consideration to timely written proposals for affiliation by licensed or certified professional providers. (

b) For the purposes of this section, the following

definitions are applicable: (1) “Reasonable consideration” means consideration in good faith of the terms of proposals for affiliation prior to the time that contracts for alternative rates of payment are entered into or renewed. A plan may specify the terms and conditions of affiliation to assure cost efficiency, qualification of providers, appropriate utilization of services, accessibility, convenience to persons who would receive the provider’s services, and consistency with the plan’s basic method of operation, but shall not exclude providers because of their category of license. (2) “Professional provider” means a holder of a certificate or license under Division 2 (commencing with

Section 500) of the Business and Professions Code, or any initiative act referred to therein, except for those certified or licensed pursuant to

Article of

Chapter 5 (commencing with

Section 2050) or

Chapter 11 (commencing with

Section 4800), who may, within the scope of their licenses, perform the services of a specific plan benefit defined in the health care service plan’s contracts with its enrollees. (

c) A plan which has an affiliation with an institutional provider or with professional providers is not required by this

section to give consideration to affiliation with professional providers who hold the same category of license or certificate and propose to serve a geographic area served adequately by the affiliated providers that provide their professional services as employees or agents of that institutional or professional provider, or contract with that institutional or professional provider to provide professional services.