(a) In areas specified by the director for expansion of the Medi-Cal managed care program under Section 14087.3 and where the department is contracting with a prepaid health plan that is contracting with, governed, owned or operated by a county board of supervisors, a county special commission or county health authority authorized by Sections 14018.7, 14087.31, 14087.35, 14087.36, 14087.38, and 14087.96, a Medi-Cal or California Work Opportunity and Responsibility for Kids (CalWORKs) applicant or beneficiary shall be informed of the health care options available regarding methods of receiving Medi-Cal benefits. The county shall ensure that each beneficiary is informed of these options and informed that a health care options presentation is available. (b) The managed care options information described in subdivision (a) shall include the following elements: (1) Each beneficiary or eligible applicant shall be provided, at a minimum, with the name, address, telephone number, and specialty, if any, of each primary care provider, by specialty, or clinic, participating in each managed care health plan option through a personalized provider directory for that beneficiary or applicant. This information shall be presented under the geographic area designations, by the name of the primary care provider and clinic and shall be updated based on information electronically provided monthly by the health care plans to the department, setting forth any changes in the health care planâs provider network. The geographic areas shall be based on the applicantâs residence address, the minor applicantâs school address, the applicantâs work address, or any other factor deemed appropriate by the department, in consultation with health plan representatives, legislative staff, and consumer stakeholders. In addition, directories of the entire service area of the local initiative and commercial plan provider networks, including, but not limited to, the name, address, and telephone number of each primary care provider and hospital, shall be made available to beneficiaries or applicants who request them from the health care options contractor. Each personalized provider directory shall include information regarding the availability of a directory of the entire service area, provide telephone numbers for the beneficiary to request a directory of the entire service area, and include a postage-paid mail card to send for a directory of the entire service area. The personalized provider directory shall be implemented as a pilot project in Los Angeles County pursuant to this article, and in Sacramento County (Geographic Managed Care Model) pursuant to Article 2.91 (commencing with Section 14089). The content, form, and the geographic areas used in the personalized provider directories shall be determined by the department, in consultation with a workgroup to include health plan representatives, legislative staff, and consumer stakeholders, with an emphasis on the inclusion of stakeholders from Los Angeles and Sacramento Counties. The personalized provider directories may include a section for each health plan. Prior to implementation of the pilot project, the department, in consultation with consumer stakeholders, legislative staff, and health plans, shall determine the parameters, methodology, and evaluation process of the pilot project. The pilot project shall thereafter be in effect for a minimum of two years. Following two years of operation as a pilot project in two counties, the department, in consultation with consumer stakeholders, legislative staff, and health plans, shall determine whether to implement personalized provider directories as a permanent program statewide. If necessary, the pilot project shall continue beyond the initial two-year period until this determination is made. This pilot project shall only be implemented to the extent that it is budget neutral to the department. (2) Each beneficiary or eligible applicant shall be informed
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