SACRAMENTO – As the state launches its health benefit exchange today,
Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed a package of bills to continue
implementing federal health care reform in California.
“While extreme radicals in Washington shut down our government, here in
California we’re taking action to extend decent health care to millions
of families,” said Governor Brown.
California has been a leader among states in implementing the federal
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and establishing its
health benefit exchange. The following legislation, signed by the
Governor today, builds on these efforts:
AB 362 by Assemblymember Philip Y. Ting (D-San Francisco) – Excludes
until January 1, 2019, from gross income, any amounts received by an
employee from an employer to compensate for additional federal income
taxes that are incurred by the employee on employer-provided health-care
benefits because, for federal income tax purposes, the same-sex spouse
or domestic partner of the employee is not considered the spouse of the
employee.
AB 422 by Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian (D-Sherman Oaks) – Requires
information on Covered California’s health care coverage and the
continued availability of Medi-Cal options to be included on the
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) notifications that school districts
may provide to students, as specified, effective on January 1, 2014.
AB 1180 by Assemblymember Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) – Updates
California law implementing the federal Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and other individual coverage
rights related to losing group coverage to conform with the federal ACA.
The bill also requires health plans and health insurers to notify
specified individuals about the availability of guaranteed issue
coverage through Covered California.
SB 28 by Senator Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) – Furthers implementation
of the state’s expansion of Medi-Cal, authorized and required by the
ACA, by giving the Department of Health Care Services greater
flexibility in issuing all-county letters until regulations are adopted,
and updating the budgeting methodology for Medi-Cal county
administrative costs.
SB 138 by Senator Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) – Requires health care
service plans and health insurers to take specified steps to protect the
confidentiality of an insured individual's medical information for
purposes of sensitive services or if disclosure will endanger an
individual, as specified.
SB 161 by Senator Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) – Establishes new
regulatory requirements for stop-loss insurance sold to small employers
but allows stop-loss insurance issued prior to September 1, 2013, to be
renewed or reissued by the same or different insurer under the same
terms and conditions, without meeting the new requirements.
SB 249 by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) – Authorizes the
Department of Public Health and qualified entities to share health
records involving the diagnosis, care, and treatment of human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
(AIDS) related to a beneficiary’s enrollment in federal Ryan White Act
(RWA) funded programs to coordinate care and enrollment as beneficiaries
transition to new health coverage programs.
SB 332 by Senator Bill Emmerson (R-Redlands) – Makes Covered
California’s contracts and rates of payment to vendors and contractors,
and other board and staff work open to public inspection under the
California Public Records Act (PRA), except for health plan contracts
and their rates, which are made public in three and four years
respectively.
SB 353 by Senator Ted W. Lieu (D-Torrance) – Requires health plans and
health insurers that provide essential health benefits to translate
specified coverage documents in the same language they use to market or
advertise to an individual or small employer, if that language is not
already required to be translated under existing law.
SB 800 by Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) – Requires the
Department of Health Care Services to provide Covered California with
information about parents or caretakers of children enrolled in the
Healthy Families program (HFP) or the targeted low-income Medi-Cal
program in order to conduct outreach to potentially eligible
individuals. Transfers specified employees of the Managed Risk Medical
Insurance Board (MRMIB) to Covered California and DHCS, as specified.
