(a) In the event of a dispute about the status of an eligible physician, the retention payment amount, or the physician entity’s failure to make a retention payment, the physician may write to the physician entity and request a review of the physician’s eligibility status, retention payment amount, or the physician entity’s failure to make a retention payment. The physician entity shall have 30 days to review the physician’s request, disclose to the physician the amount received from the department subject to the methodology described in subdivision (d) of Section 1492, and cure any alleged deficiency without penalty.

(b) If the physician entity does not conclude the retention payment review described in subdivision (a) within 30 days of receipt of the review request, or the physician entity does not cure the alleged deficiency within 30 days of receipt of the review request, the employee may file a complaint with the department. If the department finds that the physician entity failed to make a required retention payment, the physician entity shall be ordered to make full payment of the unpaid amount, plus interest at the rate of interest specified in subdivision (b) of § 3289 of the Civil Code, which shall accrue from the date that the retention payment funds were transmitted to the physician entity by the department as provided in Section 1492. A physician employer that willfully fails to make a full retention payment after receiving a request for review described in subdivision (a) shall be liable to the employee for liquidated damages in an amount equal to the unpaid amount.

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(c) Notwithstanding any other law, the department shall not be required to indemnify a physician entity for any liability it incurs pursuant to subdivision (b).

(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 47, Sec. 37. (SB 184) Effective June 30, 2022.)