Skip to Main Content

Provider Oversight | Access to Care and Availability Standards

Provider Type

  • Physicians 
  • Hospitals
  • Ancillary

Availability of Providers

Provider Delays

On the day of a scheduled appointment, if there is a delay that prevents services from being delivered, providers or their staff must immediately notify:

  • The chief medical executive (CME), or his or her representative, at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) facility and the facility chief medical officer (FCMO) by phone, if the patient or Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) youth is still at the facility.
  • The custody officers, and provide an estimate of the delay, if the patient or DJJ youth is already at the provider's office.

If providers are unable to render scheduled services for reasons other than illness of their staff members, providers must notify California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) at least 24 hours in advance or immediately provide alternative medical service arrangements to avoid disruption of service.

CCHCS may cancel, modify or change a request for services by phone without incurring any liability, up to 24 hours before services are provided. If CCHCS cancels, modifies or changes a request for any reason, including emergency security situations, such as a lockdown, less than 24 hours before a scheduled service CCHCS makes every effort to notify the provider immediately.

Last Updated: 06/23/2022