Children’s Health Coverage
The Assembly Health Committee is considering AB 1 by committee Chair Mervyn Dymally (D-Compton) and Assembly member John laird (D-Monterey) (Bill status, 4/2). The bill would create the California Healthy Children Insurance Program by combining Healthy Families -- California's version of the State Children's Health Insurance Program for low- and moderate-income children -- with the segment of Medi-Cal that provides coverage to children. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program (Bill text, 3/29).
SB 32 by Sen. Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) would expand eligibility for Healthy Families and Medi-Cal and eliminate citizenship requirements for benefits of the program (Bill text, 4/2). The Senate Rules Committee is considering the bill (Bill status, 3/28).