Legislative Update
The Senate Health Committee approved a bill by Sen. Carole Migden that would require large employers in California to spend a percentage of their payroll on health care benefits. The bill, which is modeled after a Maryland law that took effect this year, was re-referred to the Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee.
Legislation by Senate Pro Tempore Don Perata was amended to specify the Department of Health Services' role in a proposed prescription drug discount program, how applications for the program would be processed and other operational details.
The deadline for some hospitals to comply with state seismic safety regulations would be delayed by up to two years under amendments to a bill by Sen. Dave Cox. Another effort related to state seismic safety regulations stalled in committee.
Other news on health insurance coverage, health information technology and advance health care directives is available in this week's Legislative Update.