Davis Signs a Number of Health-Related Bills
Gov. Gray Davis (D) recently signed several health-related bills into law. Summaries of the bills appear below:
-
AB 424: Sponsored by Assembly member Helen Thomson (D-Davis), the law requires health plans to provide "conversion policies" for members who have become ineligible for group health insurance.
-
AB 915: Sponsored by Assembly member Dario Frommer (D-Los Feliz), the law requires the Department of Health Services to submit an application to the federal government to request an "intergovernmental transfer" of funds that would provide a supplemental Medi-Cal reimbursement to adult day health centers and acute care hospitals.
-
AB 2132: Sponsored by Assembly member Barbara Matthews (D-Tracy), the law requires the Medi-Cal fee-for-service prescription drug program to enter into and maintain a list of demonstration contracts with four medical supply manufacturers.
-
AB 2271: Sponsored by Assembly member Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley), the law allows DHS to disregard certain state regulations that conflict with federal requirements mandated by the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program.
-
AB 2668: Sponsored by Assembly member Charlene Zettel (R-Poway), the law requires the California Healthy Kids Resource Center to "review, acquire and circulate" to schools information on brain and spinal cord injury prevention.
-
AB 2674: Sponsored by Assembly member Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), the law mandates that "any Medi-Cal beneficiary who selects, or is assigned by default" to a federally qualified health center or a rural health clinic must "be assigned directly to that clinic." The law also repeals a current regulation that allows the centers and clinics to enter into capitated or other "at-risk" contracts with managed care plans.
-
AB 3048: Sponsored by the Assembly Committee on Health, the law amends "obsolete or incorrect references" in current laws that regulate health plans (Office of the Governor release, 9/23).
-
SB 59: Sponsored by Sen. Martha Escutia (D-Commerce), the law requires the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board to consider "innovative ways" to locate children who qualify for Healthy Families but have not enrolled in the program.
-
SB 843: Sponsored by Sen. Don Perata (D-Alameda), the law allows local health officials to certify individuals as tuberculosis skin test technicians. In addition, the law requires notification of parole agents about the release of prison inmates with TB.
-
SB 993: Sponsored by Sen. Liz Figueroa (D-Fremont), the law amends current laws on nurse practitioners and certified nurse-midwives to allow them to prescribe certain medications under current rules and procedures. The law also requires that the state must develop regulations related to NPs or CNMs in consultation with the Board of Registered Nursing (Office of the Governor release, 9/23).
-
SB 1411: Sponsored by Sen. Jackie Speier (D-Daly City), the law mandates that health insurers cannot charge additional fees for maternity care after July 1, 2003 (Contra Costa Times, 9/25).
-
SB 1589: Sponsored by Perata, the law allows "specialized" dental hygienists to provide dental care in rural or low-income areas in public health or tribal clinics without the supervision of a dentist or physician.
-
SB 1699: Sponsored by Sen. Deborah Ortiz (D-Sacramento), the law allows DHS to deny enrollment in public health programs to providers who have "been denied continued enrollment, been suspended or had payments withheld" by the department for fraud, abuse or "willful misrepresentation."
- SB 2022: Sponsored by Figueroa, the law "redefines and codifies the scope of practice" for registered dental hygienists. The law also increases from five to six the quorum requirement for the Board of Vocational Nurses and Psychiatric Technicians (Office of the Governor release, 9/23).
Davis Vetoes
Davis also recently vetoed several health-related bills. Summaries of the bills appear below:
-
AB 843: Sponsored by Assembly member Wilma Chan (D-Alameda), the bill would have required DHS to create and implement an "electronic enrollment confirmation process" for ensuring year-round eligibility for children born to Medi-Cal beneficiaries. The bill also would have established a fund to support the electronic process (Davis veto message, 9/23).
-
AB 2514: Sponsored by Assembly member Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel), the bill would have established a joint committee between the Department of Social Services and the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs to study issues of substance abuse in families in child welfare programs (Davis veto message, 9/23).
-
AB 2721: Sponsored by Chan, the bill would have commissioned a study by DHS and the Department of Education on expanding children's access to dental health services (Davis veto message, 9/23).
-
AB 2739: Sponsored by Chan, the bill would have created requirements concerning "culturally and linguistically appropriate services" provided by health plans contracting with the state through Healthy Families or Medi-Cal (Davis veto message, 9/23).
- AB 2795: Sponsored by Assembly member Simon Salinas (D-Salinas), the bill would have required DHS to include specific detailed information in a written notice when denying a request for prior authorization for inpatient acute hospital services (Davis veto message, 9/23).