Health Plans
The Assembly Appropriations Committee voted 10-6 to pass SB 1414 by Sen. Carole Migden (D-San Francisco) (Bill status, 8/17). The measure would require employers with more than 10,000 employees in California to spend a percentage of their payroll on health care benefits. If employers spend less than the specified percentage, they would have to contribute the difference to the state to help fund public health insurance programs (Bill text, 8/10).
The Assembly Appropriations Committee voted 11-5 to pass SB 840 by Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Los Angeles) (Bill status, 8/17). The bill would create the California Health Insurance System, a state-run, single-payer health care system to be administered by a newly created California Health Insurance Agency. Under the measure, the health care system would have to be operational within two years of enacting the bill (Bill text, 8/7).
The Senate passed AB 2918 by Assembly member Lois Wolk (D-Vacaville), and it now moves to the Assembly for concurrence, or consideration of Senate amendments (Bill status, 8/17). The legislation would allow a county board of supervisors to establish a special commission to provide health care delivery systems for individuals or groups including public agencies, private businesses and uninsured or low-income residents (Bill text, 8/10).
The Assembly passed SB 458 by Sen. Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo) and sent it the Senate for concurrence (Bill Status, 8/17). Earlier in the week, the bill was amended to prohibit the bill from replacing existing law related to California Children's Services programs. The bill would allow a county board of supervisors to establish a commission to provide expanded health care services to public agencies, private businesses and uninsured or low-income county residents. The measure would prohibit the use of Medi-Cal funds for that purpose. The legislation also would allow any county to enter into contracts to provide health services to residents who are eligible to receive health benefits under any public program under some circumstances (Bill text, 8/14).
The Senate will hear the third reading of AB 2889 by Assembly member Dario Frommer (D-Glendale). The third reading is the final step before the full Senate votes on legislation (Bill status, 8/15). The measure would allow residents to change insurance plans without medical underwriting, as long as they had health care coverage for at least 18 months previously and enroll in a plan with at least the same level of cost-sharing as the original health plan (Bill text, 6/26).
The Assembly Appropriations Committee moved SB 1622 by Sen. Martha Escutia (D-Norwalk) to the Assembly suspense file (Bill status, 8/17). Under the legislation, the Department of Health Services and the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board would be required to develop an informational document about enrollment and eligibility for Medi-Cal and Healthy Families. The measure would require employers to provide information about eligibility for the programs to employees (Bill text, 8/17).