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Consumer Participation Program
The Consumer Participation Program (CPP) allows the Department to award reasonable advocacy and witness fees to any person or organization that Represents the Interests of Consumers in a Proceeding and makes a Substantial Contribution to the Department in its deliberations regarding that Proceeding. The CPP is made possible by section 1348.9 of the Health and Safety Code and is clarified by regulation in section 1010 of Title 28 of the California Code of Regulations. CPP documents may be submitted via regular mail or via the online CPP Portal.
Address for regular mail submissions:
Department of Managed Health Care
Office of Legal Services
980 9th Street, Suite 500
Sacramento, CA 95814
CPP Portal CPP FAQs
Overview of the CPP
Petition to Participate
Seeking compensation through the CPP for the first time is a two-step process. First, an individual or an organization must submit a Petition to Participate. The Petition to Participate requires an applicant to provide contact information, a showing that the applicant Represents the Interests of Consumers and, if relevant, information on the organization. If the Petition to Participate is being submitted in connection with a specific Proceeding of the Department, it must also provide information about the applicant’s interest in the Proceeding and an estimation of the fees that will be sought.
Once the Petition to Participate is approved, as long as the information in it remains true and correct, an applicant does not need to submit another Petition to Participate for future CPP Advocacy Award requests.
Application for an Advocacy Award
After an individual or organization has an approved Petition to Participate, an Application for an Advocacy Award may be submitted. Information regarding the applicant’s participation in the Proceeding is required, including a detailed list of the Advocacy and Witness Fees for which compensation is sought, time and/or billing records, hourly rate of compensation for any witness or advocate, ways in which the applicant made a Substantial Contribution to the Proceeding, a statement of the applicant’s interest in the Proceeding and why participation was necessary to represent the consumers’ interest, and a statement that the Petition to Participate remains true and correct.
Note that an applicant may seek an Advocacy Award while a Proceeding is still ongoing. This request, referred to as a request for Interim Compensation, will neither require nor preclude an applicant from seeking an additional Advocacy Award in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Note that the summary above provides only a very general overview of the CPP process. For more detailed information, the Department recommends reviewing the CPP regulation itself and/or the CPP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). The FAQs will provide additional detail regarding the timeline and requirements of the CPP.
Consumer Assistance and General Inquiries
Note that if you have a complaint or question regarding your health plan, you should contact the Department's Help Center at (888) 466-2219. If you have a general inquiry for the Department, please visit the Contact Us page to find the appropriate contact.